Proactive and reactive self-control: A study investigating the influence of self-control strategies on response conflict.

Abstract

Self-control is of great importance in many positive life outcomes. Therefore, studies investigating self-control are of great scientific and societal value. Recent papers argue that people use self-control strategies to resolve self-control conflicts. This study suggested a division in proactive and reactive self-control strategies, and examined the tendency to use proactive and reactive self-control strategies and how they are associated with response conflict and trait self-control. Furthermore, the association of trait self-control with response conflict was examined. Participants were recruited through Prolific Academic (N = 69; Mage = 31.87; 72.5% female). A new self-control scale was introduced to measure proactive and reactive self-control strategies. Response conflict magnitude was assessed by reports on pictorial stimuli of foods and phone settings, and trait self-control was measured with the Brief Self-Control Scale. The results show that proactive, reactive and trait self-control strategies are not associated with response conflict. Promising correlations were found between trait self-control and proactive (positive correlation) and reactive (negative correlation) self-control strategies, which are in line with recent developments of self-control studies. Future research is needed to further explore this possible link. This study underscores the value of investigating the domain of self-control and its positive consequences (later) in life.