Abstract

The purpose of the present research was to develop a more comprehensive measure of self-control that reflects recent theoretical advancements that extend beyond inhibition. Across six samples (N = 1,946, 48.95% males, Ages 18-76, US-MTurkers/Israelis), we sought to develop and validate the Self-Control Strategies Scale (SCSS), as well as examine its predictive validity across important life domains (e.g., weight, physical activity, savings). The SCSS is comprised of eight self-control strategies that represent three categories: anticipatory control (situation selection, reward, punishment, pre-commitment), down-regulation of temptation (distraction, cognitive change, acceptance), and behavioral inhibition. Results indicate that there was a strong association between the widely used Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS). and the behavioral inhibition strategy of the SCSS. While the behavioral inhibition strategy was a strong and consistent predictor of most self-control related outcomes, results further indicate that in some domains, but not others, certain strategies may be beneficial whereas others may be detrimental. While inhibition remains to be an important factor of self-control, our findings point to the importance of adapting the use of different strategies to different domains. The SCSS can therefore be used to gain a more fine-grained understanding of the self-control construct.

摘要

本研究的目的是开发一种更全面的自我控制措施，以反映最近超越抑制的理论进步。在六个样本（N  = 1,946，48.95% 男性，18-76 岁，美国-MTurkers/以色列人）中，我们试图开发和验证自我控制策略量表 (SCSS)，并检查其在重要生活中的预测有效性域（例如，体重、体力活动、储蓄）。SCSS由八种自我控制策略组成，分别代表三类：预期控制（情境选择、奖励、惩罚、预先承诺）、诱惑的下调（分心、认知改变、接受）和行为抑制. 结果表明，广泛使用的简短自我控制量表（BSCS）之间存在很强的关联。以及 SCSS 的行为抑制策略。虽然行为抑制策略是大多数自我控制相关结果的强大且一致的预测因素，但结果进一步表明，在某些领域，但不是其他领域，某些策略可能是有益的，而另一些可能是有害的。虽然抑制仍然是自我控制的一个重要因素，但我们的研究结果指出了使不同策略的使用适应不同领域的重要性。因此，SCSS 可用于更深入地了解自我控制结构。