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Cited by 1,693Behavioral Health and InterventionsGrit, Self-Efficacy, and MotivationPersonality Traits and Psychology

Taking Stock of Self-Control: A Meta-Analysis of How Trait Self-Control Relates to a Wide Range of Behaviors

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de Ridder, Denise T. D., Lensvelt-Mulders, Gerty, Finkenauer, Catrin, Stok, F. Marijn, Baumeister, Roy F.·2012·Personality and Social Psychology Review
DOI 10.1177/1088868311418749
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Abstract

Given assertions of the theoretical, empirical, and practical importance of self-control, this meta-analytic study sought to review evidence concerning the relationship between dispositional self-control and behavior. The authors provide a brief overview over prominent theories of self-control, identifying implicit assumptions surrounding the effects of self-control that warrant empirical testing. They report the results of a meta-analysis of 102 studies (total N = 32,648) investigating the behavioral effects of self-control using the Self-Control Scale, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and the Low Self-Control Scale. A small to medium positive effect of self-control on behavior was found for the three scales. Only the Self-Control Scale allowed for a fine-grained analysis of conceptual moderators of the self-control behavior relation. Specifically, self-control (measured by the Self-Control Scale) related similarly to the performance of desired behaviors and the inhibition of undesired behaviors, but its effects varied dramatically across life domains (e.g., achievement, adjustment). In addition, the associations between self-control and behavior were significantly stronger for automatic (as compared to controlled) behavior and for imagined (as compared to actual) behavior.

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  • Previous work has identified self-control and domain-specific innovativeness as important antecedents to food consumption behavior.

    “Previous work has identified self-control (de Ridder, Lensvelt-Mulders, Finkenauer, Stok, & Baumeister, 2012;Stautz, Zupan, Field, & Marteau, 2018) and domain-specific innovativeness (Araujo, Ladeira, & Santini, 2016;Huotilainen, Pirttilä-Backman, & Tuorila, 2006) as important antecedents to food consumption behavior, but to our knowledge, no study of which we are aware has identified a segment of”

    From Relationships between functional food consumption and individual traits and values: A segmentation approach (2021) · cites this paper as de Ridder et al., 2012

  • Consumers engaged in health-promoting behaviors, such as healthy eating, exercise higher levels of self-control.

    “It has been suggested that consumers engaged in health-promoting behaviors, such as healthy eating, exercise higher levels of self-control (de Ridder et al., 2012;Hagger, Gucciardi, et al., 2019;Hankonen, Kinnunen, Absetz, & Jallinoja, 2013).”

    From Relationships between functional food consumption and individual traits and values: A segmentation approach (2021) · cites this paper as de Ridder et al., 2012

  • Self-control is highly relevant for explaining or predicting healthy and unhealthy food consumption, with both direct and indirect effects on behavior.

    “Self-control is highly relevant for explaining or predicting healthy and unhealthy food consumption (de Ridder et al., 2012;Tangney et al., 2004), with both direct and indirect effects on behavior (Hagger, Hankonen, et al., 2019;McCarthy, Collins, Flaherty, & McCarthy, 2017).”

    From Relationships between functional food consumption and individual traits and values: A segmentation approach (2021) · cites this paper as de Ridder et al., 2012

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  1. Alberts, H., Maroofi, S., & Martijn, C. (2005). De relatie tussen verwachtingen en interpersoonlijke verschillen in zelfcontrole [The relation between expectations and interpersonal differ- ences in self-control]. In R. W. Holland, J. Ouwerkerk, C. van Laar, R. Ruiter, & J. Ham (Eds.), Jaarboek Sociale Psychologie 2005 (pp. 13-21). Groningen, Netherlands: Aspo Pers.
  2. Bakhuys Roozeboom, M. C. (2004). De relatie tussen sekse en State/Action-oriëntatie: Een onderzoek naar de discrepantie tussen de daadwerkelijke en de ideale State/Action-oriëntatie bij mannen en vrouwen [The relation between gender and state/ action orientation: A study of the discrepancy between actual and ideal state/action orientation in males and females] (Unpub- lished master's thesis). VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  3. Danner, U. N., Ouwehand, C., Van Haastert, N., Hornsveld, H., & De Ridder, D. (in press). Decision making impairments in women with binge eating disorders compared to obese and nor- mal weight women. European Eating Disorders Review.
  4. De Hoog, S. R. (2005). Don't worry be action!! De invloed van verschillen in de State/Action-oriëntatie op relatietevredenheid [Don't worry be action!! The influence of differences in the State/Action orientation on relationship satisfaction] (Unpub- lished master's thesis). VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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  6. In R. F. Baumeister & K. D. Vohs (Eds.), Handbook of self- regulation: Research, theory, and applications (pp. 151-170). New York, NY: Guilford.
  7. Gollwitzer, P. M. (1990). Action phases and mindsets. In E. T. Higgins & R. M. Sorrentino (Eds.), Handbook of motivation and cognition (Vol. 2, pp. 53-92). New York, NY: Guilford.
  8. Gough, H. G. (1987). California Psychological Inventory- Administrator's guide. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
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  10. Lipsey, M. W., & Wilson, D. B. (2001). Practical meta-analysis: Vol. 49. Applied social research methods series. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  11. Vohs, K. D., & Baumeister, R. F. (2004). Understanding self- regulation. In R. F. Baumeister & K. D. Vohs (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications (pp. 1-9). New York, NY: Guilford.
  12. Wills, T. A., Vaccaro, D., & McNamara, G. (1994). Novelty seeking and related constructs as predictors of adolescent substance use. Journal of Substance Abuse, 6, 1-20.

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Authors
de Ridder, D. T. D., Lensvelt-Mulders, G., Finkenauer, C., Stok, F. M., & Baumeister, R. F.
Affiliations
  • Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
  • Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
  • Utrecht University (NL)
  • Florida State University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Personality and Social Psychology Review
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2011-08-30
Volume
16
Issue
1
Pages
76-99
ISSN
  • 1088-8683 (ISSN-L)
  • 1532-7957
DOI
10.1177/1088868311418749
OpenAlex
W2077057247
Cited by
1,693
References
171
Citations by year
2026: 113 · 2025: 128 · 2024: 143 · 2023: 132 · 2022: 140 · 2021: 154 · 2020: 185 · 2019: 150 · 2018: 133 · 2017: 100 · 2016: 104 · 2015: 92 · 2014: 58 · 2013: 45 · 2012: 10
FWCI
49.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Personality and Social Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
  • KOPS (University of Konstanz) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • European Commission (223488)
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (RL1AA017541)
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (UL1DE019586)
  • Common Fund (UL1-DE019586)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Grit, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Keywords
self-control, self-control scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, impulsivity, life domains, achievement, psychological adjustment
MeSH terms
Achievement, Adaptation, Psychological, Humans, Impulsive Behavior, Internal-External Control, Motivation

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