ABSTRACT
Research on self-regulation and self-control has defined its object of interest by emphasizing different phenomena and processes. The many targeted phenomena include overriding unwanted thoughts (e.g., related to distractions, temptations, stereotyping, self-inflation), feelings (e.g., anger, disgust, fear, sadness, prejudice), and behaviors (e.g., aggressive, immoral, risky, healthdamaging, underachieving). The various processes that are assumed to promote self-regulation and self-control pertain to fostering the wanted over the unwanted by cognitively inhibiting the unwanted and/or activating the wanted, or to modifying one’s current or anticipated emotions so that the wanted can be executed more easily and the unwanted can be more easily halted or prevented. Often it is assumed that effective self-regulation and self-control requires a switch; for instance, a switch from a hot mode of information processing to a cool mode, from a short-term to a long-term time perspective, from an impulsive to a reflective action control, or from habitual bottom-up action control by present stimuli to top-down control by the desired end states specified in a person’s goals. It is this latter process of achieving self-regulation and self-control by the pursuit of goals that is focused on in the present chapter. We will argue that goal pursuits are facilitated when an individual applies distinct cognitive procedures or strategies. In other words, we suggest that effectively regulating one’s goal pursuits by using certain cognitive strategies is an important route to achieving self-control.
