Publication Mapping Lay Beliefs About Self-Control
What do people think about self-control, and does it differ across cultures? In a new study published in Frontiers in Psychology, Jinyao Li and colleagues asked people in the US, the Netherlands, and China to describe what self-control is, in their own words. They found that people often see self-control as something difficult but important, and associate it with ideas like discipline, doing something good, and keeping commitments. While people across cultures mentioned similar ideas, the emphasis varied slightly. The study highlights that self-control isn’t just about personal ability — it may also be shaped by what people believe about it.
The study is part of Jinyao Li’s PhD project at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ, supervised by Denise de Ridder, Marleen Gillebaart, and Tim van Timmeren. The project focuses on how people think about self-control and how these beliefs shape the way they try to manage their (self-control) behaviors in daily life.