10/22/2017 Willpower 101: The Psychology of Self-Control

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Willpower 101: The Psychology of Self-Control

By Kendra Cherry
Updated July 20, 2017

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1. Willpower: The Key to Success?

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If only you could control yourself. If you had more willpower, you could nally lose those last 10 pounds. If you had more
self-control, you could nally stop procrastinating, save for retirement, stick to an exercise routine, and avoid various vices
such as alcohol and cigarettes.

That's a lot riding on mere force of will.

As the American Psychological Association notes, Americans tend to place a lot of stock in the power of willpower. According
to their annual Stress in America Survey, people identi ed a lack of willpower as the number one factor holding them back
from achieving their goals. Change can be di cult and a large portion of people believe that one of the biggest obstacles
preventing them from making a change is this seemingly elusive power of will.

However, some of the most popular theories of behavior change suggest that willpower alone is not always enough to make
a real and lasting change. According to the Stages of Change model, it is important to rst recognize that there is a need to

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change, identify possible barriers to change, come up with a plan of action, monitor progress, maintain and manage the
change, and cope with any possible relapses. Willpower plays a role, certainly, but it is not the only factor that impacts
success.

While many of us struggle with willpower and self-control, most people also seem to believe that this is a skill that can be
learned and strengthened. Fortunately, researchers have also come to similar conclusions and suggest that there are a
number of things that you can do to improve your self-control.

Continue reading to learn more about what will power is, why it's so important, and what you can do to develop this ability.

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2. What Is Willpower?

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So what exactly is willpower? One of the most basic de nitions is that it involves putting o what you want at the moment
in order to achieve a long-term goal.

Willpower is often referred to as resolve or self-control and may involve a number of di erent cognitive and behavioral
characteristics.

Willpower involves putting o what you want in the short-term to get what you want in the long-term.
It requires conscious e ort and often a signi cant investment of emotional and cognitive resources.
It involves resisting urges, ghting temptations, and employing di erent strategies to maintain control.

Many experts also agree that willpower is a limited resource. In one famous experiment, participants were placed in a room
with a bowl of freshly baked cookies and a bowl of radishes. Some of the subjects were told that they could eat the cookies
while others were instructed to just eat the radishes. After a 30 minute interval, the subjects were then asked to solve a
di cult puzzle. Those who had eaten the cookies kept working on the puzzle for nearly 20 minutes.

How long did those who had eaten the radishes last? A measly eight minutes. Since the subjects had depleted their
willpower reserves by resisting the delicious-smelling cookies, they didn't have any self-control left to use when solving
the puzzle.

Now we know what willpower is, but why exactly is it so important? Up next, discover why willpower might be the factor
that makes or breaks your e orts to reach your goals.

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3. Why Willpower Is Important?

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So psychologists believe that willpower can help you achieve your goals, but acknowledge that it is just one piece of the
puzzle. Why exactly is it so important to have this sort of self-control?

In a classic study, Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel asked children to wait to eat a treat (often a cookie or
marshmallow) in order to receive two treats instead of just one. While some of the children in Mischel's experiment gobbled
up the treat immediately (choosing short-term satisfaction over a longer-term reward), some of the children were able to
exert their willpower and wait for the second reward. In follow-up research, Mischel found that those kids who were able to
delay grati cation had better grades, better academic test scores, and higher educational attainment.

Later research by Angela Duckworth and Martin Seligman found that self-discipline played a greater role in academic
success than IQ. In their research, they observed that students who had greater self-control had better school attendance,
better grades, and better test scores.

Other researchers have discovered that people with higher self-discipline have better relationship skills, are less likely to
abuse alcohol and other substances, su er fewer mental health problems, and have better overall physical health.

So obviously willpower is critical for success? But can you really increase the amount of willpower you possess? Can you
make it stronger? Up next, discover the simple things psychologists recommend to boost your willpower.

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4. So What Can You Do to Improve Your Willpower?

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Based on numerous studies on the psychology behind willpower, researchers have found that some of the following
strategies can be the most e ective:

Use It, Don't Abuse It

In one study by researchers Muraven, Collins, and Nienhaus (2002), people who had depleted their willpower on one task
then consumed more alcohol in a situation that demanded restraint. The participants were asked to not think about a white
bear, a rather di cult and demanding thought-suppression task. Next, the subjects were allowed to sample beer for a taste
test, but were asked to control their intake because they would be completing a driving test immediately afterward. Those
who had completed the early thought-suppression activity drank much more alcohol than those who had not.

So what does this have to do with strengthening your own willpower? Think about willpower as a reservoir. If you drain the
reservoir using it on less important things, there is a greater likelihood the pool will be dry when you really need it for
something important. Use your willpower, but apply your available resources carefully and thoughtfully.

Utilize Distraction

In Mischel's classic marshmallow experiment, children who were able to resist eating the marshmallow right away utilized
a number of di erent strategies to strengthen their willpower. Distraction was one of the most e ective. Some kids closed
their eyes while some turned away and looked elsewhere. The kids who couldn't take their eyes o the treat, however, were
far more likely to give in.

When facing a temptation, whether it's the desire to eat, drink, spend, or indulge in some other undesired behavior, try
looking for some form of distraction. Get your mind o the thing that is tempting you at the moment so that you can stay
on the path toward your long-term goals.

Work It Like a Muscle

Other experiments have shown that willpower can also become more resistant to depletion by strengthening it. Some even
suggest that you should think of willpower as a muscle something that can be built up and strengthened with time and

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