Short Articles
Development and validation of a new self-control training method
2019 Volume 59 Issue 1 Pages 37-45
Details
2019 Volume 59 Issue 1 Pages 37-45
A new training method was developed to investigate whether self-control could be improved through training. One hundred and twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: refraining from using their smartphones, acting five minutes ahead of schedule, squeezing handgrips, or keeping a diary (the control condition). Self-control capacity was assessed using the stop signal paradigm before and after the training period (duration: 13 days). The participants who practiced self-control by acting five minutes ahead of schedule exhibited significant improvements in stop signal performance. These results indicate that self-control can be improved via the repeated inhibition of automatic responses.
