ABSTRACT
Self-control is implicated in the greatest triumphs and failures of the human condition (Baumeister, Vohs & Tice, 2007). When control levels are high, we are able to resist impulses and rapidly correct our behaviour if we inadvertently succumb to temptation. When we lack self-control, behaviours become reflexive and automatic, initiated as a course of habit rather than deliberate exertion. But what factors determine variation in the effectiveness of self-control? Why do we respond to some temptations with renewed vigour in the pursuit of a current goal, while in other situations self-control appears exhausted, allowing impulses and (bad) habits to dominate performance? Here we explore the psychological factors that underlie fluctuations in control, articulating our view that affective processing drives variation in regulatory processes to a larger extent than acknowledged by other treatments of self-control.
