Self-Regulatory Strategy Use, Efficacy, and Strategy-Situation-Fit in Self-Control Conflicts of Initiation, Persistence, and Inhibition

Self-control is the ability to (1) initiate, and (2) persist in boring, difficult or disliked activity, (3) inhibit impulses act. We explored self-regulatory strategies that people use for these three types of self-control conflicts their subjective efficacy as a function conflict type. In addition, we hypothesized who more frequently create strategy-situation fit by tying they are effective for, successful at self-control. A pilot study identified 22 different could be used than one type conflict. then large data set from two pooled experience sampling datasets ( n = 14,067 reported conflicts) quantify strategies’ popularity daily life. Eight were positively negatively associated with success but often depended on conflict: Some some maladaptive only conflicts. Individuals created also greater success, hypothesized. discuss regulatory flexibility crucial component good