14 DAY TRIAL // Whether you want to lose weight or you have any other personal improvement wish, self-control is essential. But for some, this may prove to be extremely complicated. We are motivated by one of two basic needs: we are either "promotion-focused" (looking for items that will help us achieve hopes and aspirations) or "prevention-focused," focused on items enabling us to get to a need for safety. A new research published in the "Journal of Consumer Research" shows that we can achieve self-control easier when following goal-pursuit strategies (like diets or money management) matching with our promotion or prevention focus.
"While self-help remedies are saturating the market, resisting temptations remains a strenuous process and a constant struggle for many people. The data reported in this research offer an important step toward understanding self-control and highlight the benefits of adopting the right goal pursuit strategies," wrote authors Jiewen Hong and Angela Y. Lee, both of the Northwestern University.
Promotion-focused people are concerned for growth and accomplishments and they feel they are good at following gain-aimed strategies. They experience "nonfit" when following vigilance strategies focusing on loss prevention. Oppositely, prevention-focused people experience "fit" when following vigilance strategies.
The subjects were assessed to which category they belonged based on questionnaires determining how they would get to their goal (i.e., "What are some things you can do to make sure everything goes right?") or accomplish their duties (i.e., "What are some of the things you can do to avoid anything that could go wrong?").
The subjects were then put to choose between an apple and a chocolate bar as a snack. 80% of the people asked to think on strategies matching with their focus category chose the apple, compared to 20% of those following conflicting strategies. Another tests assessed willingness to get tested for hepatitis. The diagnostic screening for hepatitis is unpleasant and requires self-control, especially when you consider yourself to be at low-risk.
Among those considering themselves to be at low risk, those following strategies matching their focus category were more eager to get tested for hepatitis, than those who those asked to concentrate on strategies not matching their focusing type. Moreover, people appeared to be unaware of their focus type, and didn't always choose strategies matching their focus category when put to choose freely.
"[We] find that when people adopt goal pursuit strategies that fit with their promotion or prevention focus, they have better self-control. In contrast, their self-control is weakened when they adopt goal pursuit strategies that conflict with their focus. Self-control is not just about doing the right things, but also about doing things the right way," wrote the authors.