Self-Control as Value-Based Choice

Self-control is often conceived as a battle between “hot” impulsive processes and “cold” deliberative ones. Heeding the angel on one shoulder leads to success; following the demon on the other leads to failure. Self-control feels like a duality. What if that sensation is misleading, and despite how...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current directions in psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society 2017-10, Vol.26 (5), p.422-428
Main Authors: Berkman, Elliot T., Hutcherson, Cendri A., Livingston, Jordan L., Kahn, Lauren E., Inzlicht, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Hypothesis testing
Self control
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Summary:Self-control is often conceived as a battle between “hot” impulsive processes and “cold” deliberative ones. Heeding the angel on one shoulder leads to success; following the demon on the other leads to failure. Self-control feels like a duality. What if that sensation is misleading, and despite how they feel, self-control decisions are just like any other choice? We argue that self-control is a form of value-based choice wherein options are assigned a subjective value and a decision is made through a dynamic integration process. We articulate how a value-based choice model of self-control can capture its phenomenology and account for relevant behavioral and neuroscientific data. This conceptualization of self-control links divergent scientific approaches, allows for more robust and precise hypothesis testing, and suggests novel pathways to improve self-control.
ISSN:0963-7214
1467-8721
DOI:10.1177/0963721417704394