Self-control
Aspect of inhibitory control / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Self-control is an aspect of inhibitory control, one of the core executive functions.[1][2] Executive functions are cognitive processes that are necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals.[1][2] Defined more independently, self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses.[3] Thought to be like a muscle, acts of self-control expend a limited resource. In the short term, overuse of self-control leads to the depletion of that resource.[4] However, in the long term, the use of self-control can strengthen and improve the ability to control oneself over time.[3][5]
A related concept in psychology is emotional self-regulation.[6]
Self-control is also a key concept in the general theory of crime, a major theory in criminology. The theory was developed by Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi in their book A General Theory of Crime (1990). Gottfredson and Hirschi define self-control as the differential tendency of individuals to avoid criminal acts independent of the situations in which they find themselves.[7] Individuals with low self-control tend to be impulsive, insensitive towards others, risk takers, short-sighted, and nonverbal. About 70% of the variance in questionnaire data operationalizing one construct of self-control was found to be genetic.[8]