ABSTRACT
One timeless question in the field of psychology, as well as in our personal lives, involves the motives behind our own and others’ behavior: Why do we do one thing and not the other? In some cases our behavior appears to follow logically from plans and intentions (e.g., going for a run Saturday morning because you want to keep fit). However, in many other cases our behavior seems to unfold without us wanting or intending to do so. Such behavior ranges from relatively small self-control failures, such as eating the chocolate cake despite dieting plans, to potentially harmful behaviors constituting addiction or relapse. What those behaviors have in common is that they are all instances of reduced control over one’s own actions.
