Schneider, Iris K. 
ORCID: 0000-0003-0915-0809, Gillebaart, Marleen and Mattes, André ORCID: 0000-0002-4821-8012
(2019).
Meta-analytic evidence for ambivalence resolution as a key process in effortless self-control.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 85.
p. 103846.
ISSN 0022-1031
Abstract
Self-control is a central construct in understanding human behavior and wellbeing, and has a significant impact on outcomes in several areas such as health, wellbeing, academic performance, and interpersonal relationships. However, underlying mechanisms of self-control, and particularly effortless self-control, remain underexposed. Recent work using mouse tracking techniques has shed new light on these issues and found that self-control is related to ambivalence associated with self-control dilemmas, both in magnitude and resolution. Using a meta-analytical approach, the current research examines whether these initial findings, suggesting that the resolution of ambivalent conflicts is a key ingredient of effortless self-control, are robust. Combining two studies from Gillebaart, Schneider, & De Ridder (2016), and five novel studies, we examined whether self-control influenced the magnitude of ambivalence conflicts (magnitude hypothesis) and the process of its resolution (process hypothesis). Self-reports of objective and subjective ambivalence conflicts were combined with a mouse tracking paradigm to tap into these different aspects. Our analyses replicate previous findings and showed a robust small to medium large effect: Higher self-control was associated with less self-reported conflict, faster conflict resolution, and earlier moment of maximum conflict. Notably, on an implicit level, conflicts emerged in equal magnitude regardless of self-control level. Extending previous work, self-control did not only play a role in food-related dilemmas but also in resolving conflict with regards to different societal topics. These results support the notion of ambivalent conflict resolution as an underlying mechanism of effortless self-control and contribute to a new perspective of self-control going beyond effort and inhibition.
| Item Type: | Article |
| Creators: | Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Gillebaart, Marleen UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED |
| URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-364983 |
| Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103846 |
| Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology |
| Volume: | 85 |
| Page Range: | p. 103846 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| ISSN: | 0022-1031 |
| Language: | English |
| Faculty: | Faculty of Human Sciences Faculty of Management, Economy and Social Sciences |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Human Sciences > Department Psychologie Center of Excellence C-SEB |
| Subjects: | Psychology |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Keywords Language self-control English ambivalence English conflict English self-regulation English dilemmas English mouse tracking English |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| URI: | http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/36498 |
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