Substance Use Motives as Mediators of the Associations between Self-Control Constructs and Negative Substance Use Consequences: A Cross-Cultural Examination.

The present study sought to examine three distinct research questions: a) are self-control constructs (i.e., negative/positive urgency, self-regulation, and emotion-regulation) indirectly related to negative alcohol/marijuana consequences via substance use motives, b) to what extent are these indirect effects consistent across differing drugs (i.e., alcohol and marijuana), and c) are these models invariant across gender and countries. Participants were 2,230 college students (mean age=20.28, SD=0.40; 71.1% females) across 7 countries (USA, Canada, Spain, England, Argentina, Uruguay, and South Africa) who consumed alcohol and marijuana in the last month. Two (one for alcohol and one for marijuana) fully saturated path models were conducted, such that indirect paths were examined for each self-control construct and substance use motive on negative consequences (e.g., negative urgency → coping motives → negative consequences) within the same model. Within the comprehensive alcohol model, we found that lower self-regulation and higher negative urgency/suppression were related to more alcohol consequences via higher coping and conformity motives. For marijuana, we found that lower self-regulation and higher negative urgency/suppression were related to more marijuana consequences via higher coping motives (not significant for conformity motives). Unique to marijuana, we did find support for higher expansion motives indirectly linking positive urgency to more negative consequences. These results were invariant across gender groups and only minor differences across countries emerged. Prevention and intervention programs of alcohol and marijuana around university campuses may benefit from targeting self-control related skills in addition to motives to drug use to prevent and reduce negative drug-related consequences.

Cathodal HD-tDCS above the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex increases environmentally sustainable decision-making.

Environmental sustainability is characterized by a conflict between short-term self-interest and longer-term collective interests. Self-control capacity has been proposed to be a crucial determinant of people's ability to overcome this conflict. Yet, causal evidence is lacking, and previous research is dominated by the use of self-report measures. Here, we modulated self-control capacity by applying inhibitory high-definition transcranial current stimulation (HD-tDCS) above the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) while participants engaged in an environmentally consequential decision-making task. The task includes conflicting and low conflicting trade-offs between short-term personal interests and long-term environmental benefits. Contrary to our preregistered expectation, inhibitory HD-tDCS above the left dlPFC, presumably by reducing self-control capacity, led to more, and not less, pro-environmental behavior in conflicting decisions. We speculate that in our exceptionally environmentally friendly sample, deviating from an environmentally sustainable default required self-control capacity, and that inhibiting the left dlPFC might have reduced participants' ability to do so.

Correlates of Cannabis Use and Self-Control Across a Diverse Sample of College Students: 2020-2022.

Background: Despite the established relationship between substance use and self-control, it is unknown how the COVID-19 pandemic may have played a role in this association. Given the unique circumstances of the pandemic along with changing societal regulations surrounding cannabis use, and their collective impact on college students, there is a need to examine the relationship between cannabis and self-control during the pandemic era. Methods: Data was collected from a repeated cross-sectional sample of college students at a mid-sized, urban U.S. institution during 2020-2022. Logistic and negative binominal regression analyses along with an ANCOVA were conducted to examine associations between self-control and past 30-day cannabis use. Results: Lower self-control was significantly associated with using cannabis in the past 30-days with those individuals with self-reported low self-control using cannabis significantly more and more times per day. Finally, we found that both past 30-day cannabis use and cohort significantly predicted self-control with both individuals who report past 30-day cannabis use and the 2020 cohort reporting lower levels of self-control. There was not a significant interaction effect. Conclusions: Despite evolving legislation regarding both medicinal and recreational cannabis use, colleges often maintain drug-free campus policies. Given high rates of cannabis use among college students and continued development of self-control, this association should be examined longitudinally and considered when creating college-level cannabis policies. Implications for college students surrounding COVID-era environments, and self-control are discussed.

Dynamics of self-control during choice and post-choice consumption quantity.

Observed choices between options representing a relative vice and a relative virtue have commonly been used as a measure of eating self-control in the literature. However, even though self-control operations may manifest across the post-choice consumption stage, either similarly or in different ways from the choice stage, most prior research has ignored consumption quantity of the chosen option. While the behavior of choosing a virtue instead of a vice does manifest self-control, we examine how this plays out in post-choice consumption. Specifically, we find that when processing resources are limited, after having chosen a virtue food, unrestrained eaters ironically consumed greater quantities and therefore more calories than restrained eaters (Study 1). This reflects more persistent self-control in the post-choice consumption stage among restrained eaters than unrestrained eaters, and occurs because choosing a virtue lowers accessibility of the self-control goal among unrestrained eaters relative to restrained eaters (Study 2), thereby increasing intake of the virtuous food. In contrast, subsequent to having chosen a vice, unrestrained eaters and restrained eaters did not show any such difference in intake (Study 1) or goal accessibility (Study 2). Together, these results reveal that persistence of self-control in the post-choice consumption stage depends on individuals' dietary restraint and their initial exercise of self-control in the choice decision. The mere act of choosing a virtue satisfies unrestrained eaters' self-control goal and leads to increased food intake, whereas the same act keeps the same goal activated among restrained eaters who reduce intake of the chosen virtue. Put differently, persistent self-control across choice and quantity decisions is observed only when those with a dietary goal show successful self-control enactment in the choice stage. We therefore highlight that the operation of self-control can be dynamic within a consumption episode, and thus, choice and post-choice quantity are both informative of self-control.

[Association between self-control and co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity during adolescence and early adulthood: A ten-year prospective cohort study based on national surveys].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between self-control and the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity from adolescence to early adulthood in the Chinese population, and to provide a scientific basis for personalized interventions targeting individuals with different risks in the future. METHODS: From a prospective cohort study that lasted for 10 years: The China family panel studies (CFPS), a total of 608 children and adolescents meeting the following inclusion and exclusion criteria were included as study subjects: (1) Aged 10 to 19 years, at normal weight according to Chinese standards, and without depressive symptom in 2010; (2) Had self-control scores, and with at least two measurements of depressive symptoms and body mass index (BMI) between 2010 and 2020; (3) The only one or the youngest child and adolescent from each family. The co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity was defined in three ways: Both of the average level of standardized scores of depressive symptoms and BMI Z-scores across multiple measurements over time were at a high level, or both of the trajectories of depressive symptoms and BMI over time based on the latent classification trajectory model (LCTM) belonging to the "risk-type", or individuals had depressive symptoms and overweight/obesity at the last follow-up survey. The multinomial Logistic regression model was used to examine the association between standardized scores of self-control and the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity. RESULTS: The score of self-control was associated with the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity when using healthy individuals as the reference group after adjusting for age (years), gender (male/female), area (urban/rural), weekly physical activity duration (high/low), parental education level (college or above/high school or below), parental weight status (overweight or obese or not), and parental depressive symptoms (with depressive symptoms or not), regardless of the definition of the risk population. Specifically, the risk of co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity was reduced by 33% (95%CI: 14% to 48%, based on the average level across multiple measurements over time) to 78% (95%CI: 6% to 95%, based on the joint trajectories of depressive symptoms and BMI over time) per 1-standard deviation (1-SD) increase in self-control score. In addition, the risk of depressive-symptom-dominant and overweight-or-obesity-dominant was reduced by 25% (95%CI: 4% to 42%, only based on the average level across multiple measurements over time) and 21% (95%CI: 1% to 37%, only based on the joint trajectories of depressive symptoms and BMI over time) per 1-SD increase in self-control score, respectively. The results from sensitivity analysis that defined individuals' weight status according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards were consistent with our main findings. CONCLUSION: Individuals with higher self-control scores from adolescence to early adulthood have a lower risk of co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity, suggesting that personalized interventions for co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity can be carried out based on self-control scores in the future.

Exploring the impact of impulsivity and indulgent consumption on eating patterns of Chinese consumers.

There is a growing concern about unhealthy eating habits and their impact on public health, underscoring the importance of research to understand its determinants and encourage healthy food habits. Using behavioural economic insights in researching dietary habit offer advantages beyond the scope of observational studies. Therefore, this paper examines impulsivity, self-indulgence, prudence and their associations with an individual's eating habits and body mass index (BMI). Data were collected from a sample of 487 Chinese participants. Most participants (88%) had good eating habits based on the Healthy Eating Assessment score. The findings of a logistic regression analysis investigating the determinants of individual dietary behaviour based on participants' self-rating of their overall dietary habits indicate that consumers who showed temporal impulsivity for favourite food tend to have poorer habits of eating healthy foods. The results of a multiple linear regression examining the factors that influence eating habits from a composite score of the Healthy Eating Assessment indicate that the score is better with temporal impulsivity for healthy food and poor with temporal impulsivity for unhealthy food. Further, the score decreases with impulsivity measured as low self-control. The control variables, age and gender, are also significant. The findings of a linear regression analysis exploring the determinants of BMI and their association with impulsivity, self-indulgence and prudence indicate that individuals with higher impulsivity measured as low self-control are mostly in the higher BMI category. These findings are important for designing and implementing public health initiatives to promote healthier dietary habits.

Latent Profiles and Transitions of Bedtime Procrastination Among Chinese College Students: The Predictive Roles of Anxiety, Depression, Problematic Smartphone Use and Self-Control.

Background: Bedtime procrastination (BP) has become an important factor affecting individual well-being. This study aimed to assess the stability and changes in BP and examine risk and protective factors. Methods: The study recruited 1423 respondents. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of BP and latent transition analysis to determine transition probabilities for each subgroup. Logistic regression examined associations between identified classes and related factors. Results: Three subgroups of BP were identified. In terms of stability and changes, the moderate bedtime procrastination group showed the highest stability (66%), followed by the severe bedtime procrastination group (62.4%), and the mild bedtime procrastination group had a 52% probability of switching to moderate bedtime procrastination. In terms of influencing factors, more problematic phone use (PSU) (OR: 1.08; 95% CI = 1.05-1.12), more depression (OR: 1.17; 95% CI = 1.06-1.29) and anxiety (OR: 1.16; 95% CI = 1.05-1.28) are all factors that aggravate the transition from mild to moderate sleep procrastination. Similarly, PSU (OR: 1.15; 95% CI = 1.12-1.19), anxiety (OR: 1.10; 95% CI = 1.06-1.14), and depression (OR: 1.10; 95% CI = 1.06-1.14) increased the risk of severe bedtime procrastination. Self-control emerged as a protective factor against BP. Conclusion: This study identified three subgroups of BP at two time points and the rule of transition for each subgroup. Our findings indicate that BP were relatively stable, with some changes over time. The results also highlight the important function that PSU, depression, anxiety, and self-control can play in preventing and intervening in BP.

The relationship between physical exercise and problematic internet use in college students: the chain-mediated role of self-control and loneliness.

OBJECTIVE: From the perspective of exercise psychology, to investigate the antefacts of problematic internet use (PIU) in college students, and to reveal the chain mediating effect of self-control and loneliness between physical exercise and PIU. METHODS: 1081 college students in Chongqing, China were investigated by Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Self-control Scale (SCS), Loneliness Scale (UCLA), and Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R), and the data were statistically analyzed by SPSS25.0 and AMOS21.0 software. RESULTS: (1) There was a significant negative correlation between physical exercise and PIU, and the former has a direct negative predictive effect on the latter. (2) Physical exercise could indirectly influence the PIU of college students through the partial mediating effect of self-control and loneliness, respectively. (3) Physical exercise could also indirectly influence PIU through the chain mediation of "self-control → loneliness". CONCLUSION: Maintaining regular physical exercise can promote the improvement of self-control and the weakening of the loneliness experience of college students, and then help to prevent or alleviate PIU behavior, which is of great significance for psychological and behavioral health.

Imagining the future improves saving in preschoolers.

Preschoolers are notoriously poor at delaying gratification and saving limited resources, yet evidence-based methods of improving these behaviors are lacking. Using the marble game saving paradigm, we examined whether young children's saving behavior would increase as a result of engaging in future-oriented imagination using a storyboard. Participants were 115 typically developing 4-year-olds from a midwestern U.S. metropolitan area (Mage = 53.48 months, SD = 4.14, range = 47-60; 54.8% female; 84.5% White; 7.3% Hispanic/Latino ethnicity; median annual household income = $150,000-$174,999). Children were randomly assigned to one of four storyboard conditions prior to the marble game: Positive Future Simulation, Negative Future Simulation, Positive Routine, or Negative Routine. In each condition, children were asked to imagine how they would feel in the future situation using a smiley face rating scale. Results showed that children were significantly more likely to save (and to save more marbles) in the experimental conditions compared with the control conditions (medium effect sizes). Moreover, imagining saving for the future (and how good that would feel) was more effective at increasing saving behaviors than imagining not saving (and how bad that would feel). Emotion ratings were consistent with the assigned condition, but positive emotion alone did not account for these effects. Results held after accounting for game order and verbal IQ. Implications of temporal psychological distancing and emotion anticipation for children's future-oriented decision making are discussed.

Relationship between maternal grit and effortful control among 18-21-month-old toddlers.

Grit is known to be effective for long-term academic and social success. However, few studies have focused on the role of grit in parenting and its effect on the development of grit in children. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of maternal grit on children's effortful control (EC), which is thought to be a precursor to grit, using parenting as a mediating factor. Participants in the current study were 412 children (age range: 18-21 months, M = 34.67 months, SD = 4.51 months) and their mothers. We assessed maternal grit, parenting style, maternal EC, and child EC, and found that maternal grit, maternal EC, and parenting style were positively correlated with child EC. Furthermore, maternal grit was related to EC in children not only directly, but also indirectly through responsive parenting. Additionally, maternal grit was found to be directly related to child EC only when assessed separately from maternal EC. The current study's findings suggest that maternal grit is directly related to EC in children in a way that differs from the mother's EC in child-rearing situations.

Impulse and reason? Justifications in problem gambling.

People often use justifications to make desirable choices, but little is known about these justificatory thoughts in gambling. We conducted an exploratory Study 1 (n = 101) and a confirmatory Study 2 (n = 154) using online surveys, recruiting gamblers with prior and current experience of trying to reduce their gambling. Using justifications recognized in the domains of eating and consumer behavior (e.g., prior use of effort, feelings of achievement), we examined whether justifications were associated with problem gambling severity, and whether they explained additional variance above trait impulsivity and cognitive distortions. In both studies, justifications were positively associated with problem gambling severity, after accounting for trait impulsivity and cognitive distortions. Additionally, justifications were positively correlated with trait urgency and cognitive distortions, indicating that such thinking may not be antithetical to impulsivity. These data provide proof-of-principle evidence that justificatory thinking occurs in the context of gambling, is related to problem gambling severity, and may therefore represent a neglected aspect of gambling-related cognitions.

Examination of Predicting Factors for COVID-19 Vaccination Behaviors of University Students Utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the predictive factors of COVID-19 vaccination behavior by evaluating the moderating effect of perceived behavioral control on the theory of planned behavior. METHODS: Data were collected from August 6 to August 31, 2022 from 235 college students (aged 20~29 years) across 12 universities using a structured web-based survey. Statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS and AMOS software. RESULTS: Attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination, subjective norms, and intention to be vaccinated significantly influenced COVID-19 vaccination behavior. Attitudes and subjective norms indirectly affected COVID-19 vaccination behavior through intention to vaccinate, whereas intention to vaccinate had a direct effect. The moderating effect of perceived behavioral control on the relationship between subjective norms and intention to vaccinate was significant. CONCLUSION: Interventions that foster a positive attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination and bolster subjective norms and perceived behavioral control can boost the intention to be vaccinated and facilitate the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination.

Social Exclusion and Short Video Addiction: The Mediating Role of Boredom and Self-Control.

Background: Short video apps are very popular among Chinese college students, and some students even rely on them. Most of the current research has focused only on Internet addiction and has seldom focused on the phenomenon of short video addiction. Its influencing factors and formation mechanism are worth exploring. Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between social exclusion and short video addiction among college students and the mediating roles of boredom and self-control. Methods: This study adopted a multistage investigation and investigated 532 college students (39% male; mean age 19.32 ± 1.23 years) with a social exclusion scale, boredom proneness scale, self-control scale, and short video addiction scale. The mediating effect was tested with Process 3.1. Results: The results showed that social exclusion has a positive predictive effect on college student's short video addiction. The impact of social exclusion on college student's short video addiction was mediated by boredom and self-control, and the chained mediation of boredom and self-control. Conclusion: Theoretically, this study modified the I-PACE model, indicating that personal and distant social factors should be considered in individuals with behavioral addictions, such as short video addiction. Practically, the results suggested that schools should reduce peer rejection and improve students' mental health literacy to reduce boredom and enhance self-control, thus effectively preventing short video addiction.

Clarifying the relationship between trait aggression and self-control using random item slope regression.

OBJECTIVE: Myriad psychological research evinces a negative association between self-control and aggression with some arguing for self-control failure as a cause of aggression. Recent literature suggests that the relationship between aggression and self-control is likely more complex and even positive in some cases. One source of such conflict in the literature could be the presence of unaccounted for random item slopes in commonly used measures of self-control which may inflate the likelihood of Type I errors. This study (N = 1386) tested the hypothesis that self-control would share random item slopes with the facets of trait aggression using random item slope regression. METHOD: We measured trait aggression and self-control via two common self-reports: the Buss-Perry Questionnaire and the Brief Self-Control Scale. RESULTS: Our analyses revealed that the facets of trait aggression shared significant random item slopes with self-control and that many of these slopes were positive, rather than negative. We also found that Type I error inflation was evident in models that did not account for these random slopes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may in part explain some of the conflicting results in the literature and that researchers interested in studying self-control and aggression should test for random item slopes.

Effect of self-modeling and self-controlled feedback on the performance of professional swimmers and waterpolo players.

Self-modeling (SM) and self-control (SC) feedback can be presented as two solutions for learning improvement. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of SM and SC feedback on 100-m freestyle performance of professional swimmers and waterpolo players. 25 elite male swimmers and waterpolo players, were randomly assigned to four groups: swimmer group with SM, swimmer group with SM and SC feedback, waterpolo players group with SM, and waterpolo players group with SM and SC feedback. 100-m freestyle times and performance were recorded. SM and SC feedback for the participants were utilized at the acquisition stage. The device used included a Lenovo B570 laptop and an Exilim ZR200 canon camcorder. SM and SC feedback presented to the swimmers and waterpolo players led to improved speed and results, and the effect of presenting SM with SC feedback to swimmers had better results. In conclusion, the present study indicates that SC modeling of watching video is a suitable method for professional swimmers. Water polo trainers can also use SM and SC feedback to enhance their players' swimming technique.

No gene by stressful life events interaction on individual differences in adults' self-control.

Background: Difficulty with self-control, or the ability to alter impulses and behavior in a goal-directed way, predicts interpersonal conflict, lower socioeconomic attainments, and more adverse health outcomes. Etiological understanding, and intervention for low self-control is, therefore, a public health goal. A prominent developmental theory proposes that individuals with high genetic propensity for low self-control that are also exposed to stressful environments may be most at-risk of low levels of self-control. Here we examine if polygenic measures associated with behaviors marked by low self-control interact with stressful life events in predicting self-control. Methods: Leveraging molecular data from a large population-based Dutch sample (N = 7,090, Mage = 41.2) to test for effects of genetics (i.e., polygenic scores for ADHD and aggression), stressful life events (e.g., traffic accident, violent assault, financial problems), and a gene-by-stress interaction on self-control (measured with the ASEBA Self-Control Scale). Results: Both genetics (ß =.03 -.04, p <.001) and stressful life events (ß = .11 -.14, p <.001) were associated with individual differences in self-control. We find no evidence of a gene-by-stressful life events interaction on individual differences in adults' self-control. Conclusion: Our findings are consistent with the notion that genetic influences and stressful life events exert largely independent effects on adult self-control. However, the small effect sizes of polygenic scores increases the likelihood of null results. Genetically-informed longitudinal research in large samples can further inform the etiology of individual differences in self-control from early childhood into later adulthood and its downstream implications for public health.

White matter integrity of right frontostriatal circuit predicts internet addiction severity among internet gamers.

Excessive use of the internet, which is a typical scenario of self-control failure, could lead to potential consequences such as anxiety, depression, and diminished academic performance. However, the underlying neuropsychological mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the structural basis of self-control and internet addiction. In a cohort of 96 internet gamers, we examined the relationships among grey matter volume and white matter integrity within the frontostriatal circuits and internet addiction severity, as well as self-control measures. The results showed a significant and negative correlation between dACC grey matter volume and internet addiction severity (p < 0.001), but not with self-control. Subsequent tractography from the dACC to the bilateral ventral striatum (VS) was conducted. The fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity of dACC-right VS pathway was negatively (p = 0.011) and positively (p = 0.020) correlated with internet addiction severity, respectively, and the FA was also positively correlated with self-control (p = 0.036). These associations were not observed for the dACC-left VS pathway. Further mediation analysis demonstrated a significant complete mediation effect of self-control on the relationship between FA of the dACC-right VS pathway and internet addiction severity. Our findings suggest that the dACC-right VS pathway is a critical neural substrate for both internet addiction and self-control. Deficits in this pathway may lead to impaired self-regulation over internet usage, exacerbating the severity of internet addiction.

Enhancing Agency in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Therapies Through Sensorimotor Technologies.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant public health concern, with only a third of patients recovering within a year of treatment. While PTSD often disrupts the sense of body ownership and sense of agency (SA), attention to the SA in trauma has been lacking. This perspective paper explores the loss of the SA in PTSD and its relevance in the development of symptoms. Trauma is viewed as a breakdown of the SA, related to a freeze response, with peritraumatic dissociation increasing the risk of PTSD. Drawing from embodied cognition, we propose an enactive perspective of PTSD, suggesting therapies that restore the SA through direct engagement with the body and environment. We discuss the potential of agency-based therapies and innovative technologies such as gesture sonification, which translates body movements into sounds to enhance the SA. Gesture sonification offers a screen-free, noninvasive approach that could complement existing trauma-focused therapies. We emphasize the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and clinical research to further explore these approaches in preventing and treating PTSD.

Self-control problems in Intermittent Explosive Disorder: Presentation of an explanatory approach.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is an impulsive aggression disorder with self-control problems. However, the mechanisms underpinning the self-control problems in IED have not been clearly investigated. Therefore, this study examined the nature of self-control problems and their types, including cognitive inhibition, behavioral inhibition, and emotional interference in IED. METHODS: Participants included three groups: IED (n = 54), psychiatric control (n = 59), and healthy control (n = 62). They were first screened with SCL-90-R, and then they were clinically interviewed. They all did computerized neurocognitive tasks, including Color-Word Stroop Task, Emotional Stroop Task, Go-NoGo Task, and Stop-Signal Task. RESULTS: MANOVA analyses showed that the IED group had poorer performance in cognitive inhibition, response inhibition, and increased emotional interference than the two psychiatric and healthy control groups. They performed much worse than the other two groups, particularly in action cancellation (Stop-Signal Task), and showed increasingly emotional interference. LIMITATIONS: The brain reaction of individuals while doing the tasks was not examined, and some variables were not measured. Also, it is unclear how the emotional eruption interferes with cognitive content and behavioral inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that self-control problems in IED can be due to deficient cognitive, emotional, and behavioral inhibitions, each appearing sequentially during a step-by-step process and facilitating the onset of IED signs and symptoms. Such a distinguished understanding of the role of neurocognitive mechanisms can lead to the development of accurate explanatory approaches and increase the effectiveness of treatment.