Name: Anamarie Gennara
Area of Study: Personality/Social
In what program are you currently enrolled? MA
What year of the program are you currently in? 2
Citation in APA format:
Gennara, A., Peetz, J., & Milyavskaya, M. (2023). When more is less: Self-control strategies are seen as less indicative of self-control than just willpower. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 106, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104457
Abstract:
People may suppress temptations with pure willpower or use strategies to reduce their pull. In this paper, we examine lay theories about self-control strategy use. A fictional person described as a high self-control individual was seen as more likely to use willpower than strategies (Experiment 1). In four other experiments, targets described as using strategies were perceived as relatively lower in self-control than those using willpower (Experiments 2–5). This difference disappeared for participants who scored high on a scale assessing the belief that strategies are indicative of self-control (Experiment 4) and was reduced for those who were assigned to read an article about self-control strategies rather than about willpower (Experiment 5). Strategy beliefs were also linked to more intentions to use strategies (Experiments 4–5). We conclude that willpower is more central to people’s idea of self-control than strategies, and that this lay belief affects person perception and behavioral intentions.
How did the idea for this research come about?
We came up with this project idea following a conversation with a friend who dismissed the use of strategies for self-control – they said one should be able to do it without having to resort to such ‘tricks’. This led to questions about how people think about self-control, and in particular, what they believe about using strategies for self-control. With our research, we were interested to know how people’s beliefs about strategy use might influence how they view others who use strategies and how this perception shapes their own strategy use.
How did you collect the data for this project?
We conducted five online experiments with participants recruited from Mturk. We created scenarios of fictional individuals described as using strategies or described as using willpower to overcome temptation. Participants rated each person in terms of how much self-control they believed that person has. In our final experiment, we had participants read a short article on the importance of either strategies or the importance of willpower for self-control before rating others in self-control.
Was the journal you published in the first journal you submitted this paper to?
Yes.
Why did you choose this journal?
The journal publishes advances in social psychology that use experimental methods. All of our studies were experimental, so it was a great fit for our work.
How many other journals did you submit this paper to before it landed in the journal that eventually published your work?
0
What was your revision experience?
My experience was great. The reviewers shared their excitement about our research and provided constructive feedback that definitely strengthened our paper. We completed one round of revisions where we addressed comments on potential demand characteristics, expanded more on directions for future research, and provided more clarity on the potential implications of our findings. Having worked on other papers, I was familiar with the peer review process, but this was my first experience really taking the lead on revisions. I was grateful for Dr. Peetz’ guidance in drafting the review letter and for her support at each step, which made the otherwise intimidating review process much more manageable!
How many rounds of revision did you experience?
1
Did you need to collect new data to satisfy a reviewer?
No.
How long did it take from first submission to acceptance?
5 months.
Was this paper conducted as part of your MA thesis?
No.
Was this paper conducted as part of your PhD dissertation?
No.
Was this research conducted with your supervisor?
Yes, this research was conducted with my supervisor, Dr. Marina Milyavskaya.
Was this research conducted with fellow graduate students in our program?
No.
Was this research conducted with researchers external to Carleton?
No.
You can access the article here.