Harvard Self-Regulation
Research Bites
Rich Inner Life (2020) Oishi
Principle There are multiple ways to have a good life include more pleasure, more meaning, or more psychological richness. Quote A psychologically rich life is
Predicting Future Emotions (2005) Wilson
Principle: People mispredict how future events will make them feel. Quote: “People routinely mispredict how much pleasure or displeasure future events will bring.” Wilson, T.
Beyond the Hedonic Treadmill (2006) Diener
Principle: People adapt to good and bad events to return to a baseline of happiness in complex and individual ways. Quote: “Creating a happier society
Avoid Temptation to Reach Goals (2017) Milyavskaya
Principle: When you experience temptations, it’s draining whether or not you resist them. Quote: “contrary to conventional wisdom, self-control was unimportant in accomplishing one’s goals.”
Marshmallow Test Revisited (2020) Michaelson
Principle: Preschoolers who have families where they learn to delay gratification tend to have later life success. Quote: “Thus, a child’s ability to wait might
What Does Childhood Self-Control Predict? (2011) Moffitt
Principle Self-Control as children predicts their health, wealth, and criminality as adults. Quote Following a cohort of 1,000 children from birth to the age of
Delay of Gratification in Children – The Marshmallow Test (1989) Mischel
Principle Children’s self-control as young as preschoolers can pr dict outcomes a decade later. Quote The significant correlations between preschool delay time and adolescent outcomes,
Social Media Temptations (2021) Sternberg
Principle: Distracting yourself by thinking of neutral things can lower the temptation to use social media. Quote: “Attentional distraction successfully modulated self-reports of Facebook desire.”
Self-Control Is Like a Muscle – The Strength Model of Self-Control (2007) Baumeister
Principle Self-Control is like the strength of a muscle and can wear out after use, but can also strengthen over time with practice. Quote “Self-control