Compensatory health beliefs in women in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Compensatory health beliefs may serve as one of many self-regulatory strategies that individuals employ to maintain healthy lifestyles. Past research with samples from a general population has shown, however, that compensatory beliefs are ineffective in this regard and may even lead to inaction in future health-related behaviors such as eating healthily or being active. To better understand this phenomenon, in the present study, changes in compensatory health beliefs regarding various life domains were examined in a group of pregnant women. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: In a longitudinal study design, 166 women completed questionnaires in the first (t1), the second (t2), and the third (t3) trimester of their pregnancies. We assessed the level of their self-control as a trait (t1, t2, t3), compensatory health beliefs (t1, t2, t3), and unhealthy snacking (t3). RESULTS: As predicted, self-control as a trait decreased and the levels of compensatory beliefs increased over time. A linear mixed effects analysis showed that self-control was the best predictor of compensatory beliefs in the third trimester. Finally, compensatory health beliefs in the third trimester mediated the effect of self-control at the beginning of pregnancy on unhealthy snacking in the third trimester. CONCLUSIONS: It appears important to support pregnant women in opting for constructive self-regulatory strategies, especially in their final trimesters, when coping resources are exhausted by the challenges of this period.

On the relation between oral contraceptive use and self-control.

In two studies we examined the relation between oral contraceptive (OC) use and self-reported levels of self-control in undergraduate women using OCs (Study 1: OC group N = 399, Study 2: OC group N = 288) and naturally cycling women not using any form of hormonal contraceptives (Study 1: Non-OC group N = 964, Study 2: Non-OC group N = 997). We assessed the self-overriding aspect of self-control using the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) and strategies for self-regulation using the Regulatory Mode Scale (RMS), which separately measures the tendency to assess one's progress towards a goal (assessment), and the tendency to engage in activities that move one towards an end goal (locomotion). In Study 1, we found no significant differences between OC and non-OC groups in their levels of self-overriding or self-regulatory assessment. However, we found that those in the OC group reported significantly greater levels of self-regulatory locomotion compared to those in the non-OC group, even after controlling for depression symptoms and the semester of data collection. The findings from Study 2 replicated the findings from Study 1 in a different sample of participants, with the exception that OC use was also related to higher levels of assessment in Study 2. These results indicate that OC use is related to increases in self-regulatory actions in service of goal pursuit and perhaps the tendency to evaluate progress towards goals.

Commitment, Cold War, and the battles of the self: Thomas Schelling on behavior control.

Economist Nobelist Thomas C. Schelling (1921-2016) is known for his contribution to the analysis of international conflict and many see him as the Cold Warrior par excellence. At a time of great uncertainties and dangers, Schelling combined a deep understanding of strategic analysis, a detailed knowledge of US commitments around the world and an inimitable talent for dissecting everyday behavior, which made him a think tank all on his own. When he turned to the analysis of bargaining in the mid-1950s, one question dominated policy discussions: "How to demonstrate the US commitment to the 'free world'"? Schelling answered unequivocally: By restricting one's choices so as to shift others' expectations and thereby influence their behavior in the desired direction. By the mid-1970s, after he had broken with the US administration and joined the Committee on Substance Abuse and Habitual Behavior, Schelling transposed the tactics deployed in international conflict to the analysis of individuals trying to achieve self-control. In the process, he reproduced the logic of military conflict at the level of the self. The view of a conflicted self itself comprised of two selves made restricted choice the daily routine of individuals who wish to avoid the negative consequences of their present behavior in the future while it promised those who enjoy unbounded freedom of choice an unsettling future.

Effects of physical exercise on adolescent short video addiction: A moderated mediation model.

Objective: To discuss the effects of physical exercise (PE) on adolescent short video addiction (SVA) and analyze the mediating effects of self-control (SC) and the moderating effects of the cumulative ecological risk (CER), aiming to provide theoretical support for PE relative to adolescent SVA, investigate the underlying mechanisms of the effects of PE. Methods: The Physical Activity Rating Scale-3, Problematic TikTok Use Scale, Self-Control Scale, and Cumulative Ecological Risk Scale were used to survey 756 adolescents in Chongqing and Chengdu, China. SPSS was used to construct a research model by conducting reliability, confirmatory factor, common method bias, and AMOS analyses. Results: PE was significantly and negatively related to adolescent SVA (ß = -0.30, p < 0.01). SC served as a partial mediator between PE and adolescent SVA, the direct and indirect effect values are -0.304 and -0.167 respectively, showing that SC negatively predicted the relationship between the two variables. The CER moderated the effect of PE (t = -11.679, p < 0.001) and SC (t = -15.069, p < 0.001) on adolescent SVA. Conclusion: PE mitigates and moderates adolescent SVA through the mediating effect of SC and the moderating effect of CER.

Sleep disturbance and internalizing symptoms in adolescents: a moderated mediation model of self-control and mindfulness.

OBJECTIVES: Despite accumulating evidence regarding the impact of sleep disturbance on internalizing symptoms among adolescents, the underlying psychological mechanisms remain inadequately explored. This study aimed to investigate a conceptual framework elucidating how sleep disturbance influences internalizing symptoms in adolescents through the mediating role of self-control, with mindfulness as a moderator. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1876 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.88 years, SD = 1.47 years, range = 12-19 years, 44.7% boys) completed the Youth Self-Rating Insomnia Scale (YSIS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Brief Self-control Scale (BSCS), and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale-Children (MAAS-C) to provide data on sleep-related variables, internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression), self-control, and mindfulness, respectively. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was applied to perform moderated mediation analysis. RESULTS: Sleep disturbance demonstrated a significant positive correlation with internalizing symptoms in adolescents, including anxiety (ß = 0.481, p < 0.001) and depression (ß = 0.543, p < 0.001). Self-control served as a mediator between sleep disturbance and two forms of internalizing symptoms. Moreover, mindfulness moderated the pathways from self-control to internalizing symptoms (for anxiety symptoms: ß = 0.007, p < 0.001; for depression symptoms: ß = 0.006, p < 0.001), and the mediating relationships were weaker for adolescents exhibiting higher levels of mindfulness. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings enhance understanding of the impact, pathways, and influencing factors of sleep disturbance on adolescent internalizing symptoms, suggesting the importance of enhancing mindfulness levels in addressing self-control deficits and subsequently reducing internalizing symptoms among adolescents.

Body mass index-dependent shifts along large-scale gradients in human cortical organization explain dietary regulatory success.

Making healthy dietary choices is essential for keeping weight within a normal range. Yet many people struggle with dietary self-control despite good intentions. What distinguishes neural processing in those who succeed or fail to implement healthy eating goals? Does this vary by weight status? To examine these questions, we utilized an analytical framework of gradients that characterize systematic spatial patterns of large-scale neural activity, which have the advantage of considering the entire suite of processes subserving self-control and potential regulatory tactics at the whole-brain level. Using an established laboratory food task capturing brain responses in natural and regulatory conditions (N = 123), we demonstrate that regulatory changes of dietary brain states in the gradient space predict individual differences in dietary success. Better regulators required smaller shifts in brain states to achieve larger goal-consistent changes in dietary behaviors, pointing toward efficient network organization. This pattern was most pronounced in individuals with lower weight status (low-BMI, body mass index) but absent in high-BMI individuals. Consistent with prior work, regulatory goals increased activity in frontoparietal brain circuits. However, this shift in brain states alone did not predict variance in dietary success. Instead, regulatory success emerged from combined changes along multiple gradients, showcasing the interplay of different large-scale brain networks subserving dietary control and possible regulatory strategies. Our results provide insights into how the brain might solve the problem of dietary control: Dietary success may be easier for people who adopt modes of large-scale brain activation that do not require significant reconfigurations across contexts and goals.

Demographic predictors of bedtime procrastination in the Japanese population.

Bedtime procrastination (BP) is prevalent and problematic, with no previous study conducted in Japan. This study developed the Japanese version of the Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS), assessed its validity, and investigated the relationship between BP, demographic features, and sleep outcomes. Participants were divided into two samples (N = 252 and N = 630). Sample 1 involved a longitudinal study to confirm test-retest reliability of the BPS. Sample 2 involved a cross-sectional study to assess confirmatory factor analysis, criterion-related validity, construct validity, and determine the internal consistency of the BPS. The relationship between BP and demographic features (gender, age, and employment status) and sleep outcomes (Athens Insomnia Scale, sleep hours, sleep onset latency, and sleep efficiency) was investigated using Sample 2. The BPS showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficients = .90-91), test-retest reliability (ICC = .86), and one factor model was valid; CFI = .95, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .10, and SRMR = .04. The BPS had a moderate positive association with general procrastination, moderate negative associations with self-control, sleep quality, and sleep duration on weekdays, and those who answered "yes" to the item "Do you have trouble with bedtime procrastination?" had higher BPS scores. BPS scores were moderately higher for younger participants (≤ 40 years), slightly higher for females, and non-significantly different between employment statuses. The BPS showed a significant positive correlation with insomnia symptoms, weak positive association with sleep efficiency on weekdays and holidays, and no significant association with sleep onset latencies on holidays and weekdays. This study provides new data on demographic predictors of BP in Japan. No clear effects of gender and employment status were found, but age was a strong predictor of BP, where younger age groups had a higher BP risk. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41105-023-00508-7.

Deficiency in Self-Control: Unraveling Psychological and Behavioral Risk Factors for Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in College Students.

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex mental disorder to treat. However, there are some deficiencies in research performed to date about the psychological and behavioral factors that may trigger obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Based on the Psychopathology of Self-Control Theory which states that deficits in self-control underpin psychiatric symptoms, this study investigated the factors influencing OCS among college students. Methods: A total of 5599 non-clinical Chinese college students were recruited to complete the Chinese version of the Self-Control Scale, Aitken Procrastination Inventory, and Symptom Checklist-90. Pearson's correlation analyses and the bootstrap method were performed to test our hypothesis. Results: The following results were obtained: (a) There were significant correlations among self-control, procrastination, anxiety, and OCS. (b) When controlling for the effects of age and sex, self-control remained a significant negative predictor of OCS. (c) The mediating roles of procrastination and anxiety, and the chain mediating role of procrastination and anxiety were the three predicted pathways linking self-control and OCS. Conclusion: This study highlights the significance of self-control deficiencies in OCS. It provides new insights into the psychological and behavioral factors that increase the risk of OCS with important practical implications for early intervention in OCD.

The Influence of Gaming Behavior on School Adjustment among Korean Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of Self-Regulation.

With the rise of digital devices, gaming has become both a pastime and part of the culture for young people. Teenagers use games to communicate, enjoy leisure time, and relieve stress. However, the maladaptive use of gaming can lead to difficulties in adolescents' daily lives and school adjustment. Increasing adolescents' self-regulation competencies can improve maladaptive gaming behaviors and help them use gaming adaptively. Therefore, this study examined the moderating effect of self-regulation on the impact of adolescent gaming behavior on school adjustment. This study considered 359 adolescent participants in South Korea. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression to test the moderating effect. The results indicated that adolescents' adaptive use of games significantly increased school adjustment. Self-regulation significantly moderated the negative effects of the maladaptive use of games on school adjustment. Furthermore, the results revealed that the groups with highly adaptive and maladaptive use of games had high school adjustment but low self-regulation, indicating that they required active intervention.

Tunneling, cognitive load and time orientation and their relations with dietary behavior of people experiencing financial scarcity - an AI-assisted scoping review elaborating on scarcity theory.

BACKGROUND: The concept of a financial scarcity mindset has raised much attention as an explanation for poor decision-making and dysfunctional behavior. It has been suggested that financial scarcity could also impair dietary behavior, through a decline in self-control. Underlying cognitive mechanisms of tunneling (directing attention to financial issues and neglecting other demands), cognitive load (a tax on mental bandwidth interfering with executive functioning) and time orientation (a shift towards a present time horizon, versus a future time horizon) may explain the association between financial scarcity and self-control related dietary behavior. The current scoping review gathers recent evidence on how these mechanisms affect dietary behavior of people experiencing financial scarcity. It builds on a theoretical framework based on insights from behavioral economics and health psychology. METHODS: A literature search was executed in six online databases, which resulted in 9.975 papers. Search terms were tunneling, cognitive load and time orientation, financial scarcity, and dietary behavior. Screening was performed with ASReview, an AI-ranking tool. In total, 14 papers were included in the scoping review. We used PRISMA-ScR guidelines for reporting. RESULTS: Limited evidence indicates that a scarcity mindset could increase tunneling, through attentional narrowing on costs of food, which then directly impacts dietary behavior. A scarcity mindset involves experiencing financial stress, which can be understood as cognitive load. Cognitive load decreases attentional capacity, which could impair self-control in dietary choices. Financial scarcity is related to a present time orientation, which affects dietary choices by shifting priorities and decreasing motivation for healthy dietary behavior. CONCLUSIONS: A scarcity mindset affects dietary behavior in different ways. Tunneling and a shift in time orientation are indicative of an attentional redirection, which can be seen as more adaptive to the situation. These may be processes indirectly affecting self-control capacity. Cognitive load could decrease self-control capacity needed for healthy dietary behavior because it consumes mental bandwidth. How a changing time orientation when experiencing financial scarcity relates to motivation for self-control in dietary behavior is a promising theme for further inquiry.

Differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms among patients with cancer in different psychological stages of dying.

Purpose: This study measured three of the psychological stages of dying in patients with cancer and explored the differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms at each stage. Patients and methods: A total of 220 cancer patients were recruited for this study; 168 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the data analysis. The participants were divided into three groups using the "Death Attitudes Questionnaire Revised" (1994) and then completed the Death-Thought Accessibility Test, Self-Control Questionnaire, Rumination Reflection Questionnaire, Attachment Type Test, Intimacy Test, External Control Test, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Results: In the death avoidance stage, which represents a defense stage without cognitive processes, patients are in an irrational state with the highest level of self-control and the lowest level of external control; they tend to prefer close relationships with many people while experiencing high levels of fear and depression. In the bargaining stage, which represents a biased cognitive defense stage, the level of rationality increases, the level of fear and depression decreases, and patients tend to prefer relationships with many people that do not involve intimacy. In the neutral death acceptance stage, which represents a defense stage without cognitive bias, self-control is lowest, external control is highest, patients tend to prefer intimate relationships with a few people, and experience the lowest levels of fear and depression. Conclusion: Three psychological stages of death exist in cancer patients, with differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms in each stage. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for psychological interventions for cancer patients.

The relationship between self-control and learning engagement among Chinese college students: the chain mediating roles of resilience and positive emotions.

Background: As the main driver of talent cultivation in colleges and universities, the learning and development level of college students is a core indicator of the quality of talent cultivation. The current status of college students' learning has always been a heavily researched topic. However, there is a lack of academic research on the potential mechanisms of self-control about how it affects college students' learning engagement. This study explored the relationship between college students' self-control and learning engagement and the potential mechanisms underlying this relationship with reference to a large sample. Methods: A total of 765 college students from Guangxi, China, completed the self-control scale, the resilience scale, the positive emotions scale, and the learning engagement scale. SPSS 26.0 was used to conduct common method bias tests, descriptive statistics, correlation tests, and regression analyses. Structural equation modeling was constructed using AMOS 26.0, and mediation effects were tested. Results: This article mainly used questionnaires to collect data and, on this basis, examined the relationship between self-control, resilience, positive emotions, and the learning engagement of college students. The results showed that (1) self-control positively affected college students' learning engagement; (2) resilience partially mediated the relationship between self-control and college students' learning engagement; (3) positive emotions partially mediated the relationship between self-control and college students' learning engagement; and (4) resilience and positive emotions played a chain-mediating role between self-control and college students' learning engagement. Conclusion: The present study identifies the potential mechanism underlying the association between the self-control and learning engagement of college students. The results of this study have practical implications for enhancing the learning engagement of Chinese college students by increasing their psychological resources and improving the teaching of university teachers.

Psychological perspectives on divine forgiveness: 3. Trait self-control is associated with well-being through seeking divine forgiveness.

Introduction: Although a majority of the world's population believes in a Higher Power and subscribes to a religion in which divine forgiveness is emphasized, little work has been done to understand individual differences associated with seeking divine forgiveness. Methods: Building on work that suggests trait self-control facilitates well-being, the current study (N = 439, undergraduate students) applies structural equation modeling (SEM) to test whether believers higher (vs. lower) in trait self-control are more likely to seek divine forgiveness, and, in turn, have better psychological health. Results and discussion: We find that people higher in self-control engage in more divine forgiveness seeking (b = 0.16), and seeking divine forgiveness represents one of the pathways associated with psychological health (i.e., seeking is associated with higher well-being, b = 0.21, and lower distress, b = -0.07). Crucially, we operationalize both positive (well-being and flourishing) and negative (depression, anxiety, stress) aspects of psychological health and control for religiosity. These results suggest that for those who believe in God, seeking divine forgiveness may be one mechanism that links individuals' self-control to good psychological health, and this is not merely an artifact of higher levels of religiosity. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Changes in Restless Sleep, Self-Control, and Alcohol-Related Problems with Police from Late Adolescence to Adulthood.

Sleep quality is crucial for healthy adolescent brain development, which has downstream effects on self-control and involvement in risky behaviors, such as alcohol use. While previous studies have found that sleep and facets of self-control are associated with patterns of alcohol use, few have assessed whether these constructs are tied to alcohol-related problems with law enforcement during the transitional period from adolescence to adulthood. The current study uses self-report panel data from ages 16 to 27 from a population-based sample of U.S. youth (N = 956; 36.86% female). The goal of the current study is to assess the association between changes in restless sleep, impulsivity, sensation seeking, and problems with police during or shortly after consuming alcohol from adolescence to adulthood to begin to address this gap in the existing literature. Results from a multivariate latent growth curve model reveal that faster increases in restless sleep and slower declines in impulsivity are associated with slower declines in police contact. Correlated changes between restless sleep, impulsivity, and police contact are slightly greater from ages 16-21 than for ages 22-27, with males showing stronger associations. The reported results suggest that identifying developmental mechanisms between changes in poor sleep, impulsivity, and alcohol use behaviors during this life-course phase will be crucial moving forward to help divert youth away from alcohol-related contact with the police.

Mediating Effect of Self-Control on the Relationship between Obesity-Related Stress and Weight Control Behavior among Female College Students with Overweight and Obesity.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine whether self-regulation acts as a mediating factor in the relationship between obesity-related stress and weight control behavior, targeting Korean female college students. Obesity-related stress and weight control behaviors are important factors affecting an individual's health and well-being, and self-control, a psychological trait, can play a pivotal role in regulating how individuals respond to stress and engage in weight management behaviors. METHODS: This study employed a descriptive correlational design. A total of 109 female college students with overweight and obesity participated in the study. We used a self-report questionnaire to measure obesity-related stress, self-control, and degree of weight control behavior. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, and bootstrapping using Hayes' PROCESS macro for mediation. RESULTS: Significant relationships between obesity-related stress and weight control behavior (r = 0.25, p < 0.001), obesity-related stress and self-control (r = -0.36, p < 0.001), and weight control behavior and self-control (r = 0.26, p < 0.001) were observed. Self-control showed an indirect mediating effect on the relationship between obesity-related stress and weight control behavior (Β = 0.37, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Through the research results, it was confirmed that self-control is a factor that has a mediating effect in the relationship between obesity-related stress and weight control behavior among female college students with overweight and obesity. These results underscore the importance of addressing self-control strategies in interventions aimed at promoting healthy weight management among female college students with overweight or obesity.

When What Is Beautiful Is Not Good: The Role of Trait Self-Control in Resisting Eye Candy.

People are drawn to and like others who are physically attractive. In the present research, we investigated the influence of trait self-control on individuals' interest in relationships with physically attractive others. We hypothesized that high (vs. low) self-control individuals would approach relationships by considering information beyond appearance about potential partners, including partners' self-control. We additionally explored the influence of other traits (e.g., Big 5, self-esteem, and attachment styles) on relationship interest. Across studies, we consistently found that individuals with higher self-control avoided pursuing relationships with attractive individuals who display low self-control. In Study 3, we observed a similar pattern for three other traits: conscientiousness, extraversion, and positivity embracement. These results suggest perceivers' self-control shapes relationship interest, particularly when attractive individuals possess less desirable qualities. The findings extend past research that attractiveness increases interest in others and highlights the potential for trait self-control to direct relationship interest during initial interactions.

Analyzing the effects of physical activity levels on aggressive behavior in college students using a chain-mediated model.

This study aims to examine the mediating role of self-efficacy (SE) and self-control (SC) in the relationship between physical activity (PA) and aggressive behaviors (AB) among college students. It provides a basis for the prevention and control of AB among college students. This study employed a survey research methodology, including the PA Level Scale, the General Self-efficacy Scale, the Self-control Scale, and the Chinese Aggressive Behaviors Scale on 950 college students. The chain mediating effect test and Bootstrap analysis were applied. The results were as follows: (1) There was a main effect of PA on SE, SC, and AB as well as all sub-indicators (physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, hostility, self-directed aggression), i.e., PA had a direct effect on the control of all three; (2) PA level was significantly negatively correlated with AB and significantly positively correlated with SE and SC. That is, the higher the level of PA, the better the SE and SC, and the lower the probability of AB; (3) The three pathways had mediating effects: PA → SE → AB, PA → SC → AB, PA → SE → SC → AB, with effect sizes of 8.78%, 28.63%, and 19.08%, respectively. It is concluded that regular PA is a potent method for decreasing aggressive behavior and psychological issues in university students while additionally promoting self-efficacy and self-control. Increasing the intensity of PA may enhance the effectiveness of these chain benefits.

Changes in pupil size track self-control failure.

People are more likely to perform poorly on a self-control task following a previous task requiring self-control (ego-depletion), but the mechanism for this effect remains unclear. We used pupillometry to test the role of attentional effort in ego-depletion. We hypothesized that an elevated pupil diameter (PD)-a common physiological measure of effort-during an initial task requiring self-control should be negatively associated with performance on a subsequent control task. To test this hypothesis, participants were first assigned to either a high- or low-demand attention task (manipulation; a standard ego-depletion paradigm), after which all participants completed the same Stroop task. We then separately extracted both sustained (low-frequency) and phasic (high-frequency) changes in PD from both tasks to evaluate possible associations with lapses of cognitive control on the Stroop task. We first show that in the initial task, sustained PD was larger among participants who were assigned to the demanding attention condition. Furthermore, ego-depletion effects were serially mediated by PD: an elevated PD response emerged rapidly among the experimental group during the manipulation, persisted as an elevated baseline response during the Stroop task, and predicted worse accuracy on incongruent trials, revealing a potential indirect pathway to ego-depletion via sustained attention. Secondary analyses revealed another, independent and direct pathway via high levels of transient attentional control: participants who exhibited large phasic responses during the manipulation tended to perform worse on the subsequent Stroop task. We conclude by exploring the neuroscientific implications of these results within the context of current theories of self-control.

Self-Control Training: A Scoping Review.

We conducted a scoping review of the behavior analytic self-control training (SCT) literature. To identify included articles, we searched key terms in six databases for articles published between 1988 and 2021. We included empirical articles that used a behavioral approach to self-control training with human participants for whom increasing self-control choice was a clinically significant goal and measured self-control and impulsive choice as dependent variables. Twenty-five experiments from 24 articles with a total of 79 participants were included in the review. This review aims to summarize the characteristics of SCT procedures and outcomes, provide recommendations for future research directions, and offer practical suggestions to clinicians incorporating SCT into practice. We examined similarities across studies regarding the independent variables manipulated in SCT, dependent variables measured, metrics of successful interventions, and assessment of generalization and maintenance of self-control choice. Twenty-one experiments arranged concurrent self-control- and impulsive-choice options with positive reinforcement, and four experiments arranged self-control training with negative-reinforcement contingencies. Variations of SCT included progressively increasing delays, intervening activities, signaled delays, antecedent rules, and commitment responses. Providing an intervening activity during the delay was largely successful at increasing self-control choice. Maintenance and generalization of increased self-control choice were assessed in two and three experiments, respectively. Future research should focus on improving the generality of SCT procedures in clinical settings by increasing terminal delays, fading out intervening activities, including probabilistic outcomes, and combining appetitive and aversive outcomes. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-023-00885-y.

Investigating psychological mechanisms of self-controlled decisions for food and leisure activity.

Maintaining a healthy body weight requires balancing energy intake and expenditure. While previous research investigated energy input or food decisions, little is known about energy output or leisure activity decisions. By combining experimental decision-making paradigms and computational approaches, we investigated the psychological mechanisms of self-controlled food and leisure activity decisions through the effects of reward-oriented and health-oriented preferences as well as body weight status, stress, and coping. Based on individual's responses, the self-controlled food and leisure activity choices were indexed as the proportions of "no" unhealthy but tasty (or enjoyable) (inhibitory self-control against short-term pleasure) and "yes" healthy but not tasty (or not enjoyable) responses (initiatory self-control for long-term health benefits). The successful self-control decisions for food and leisure activity were positively correlated with each other, r = 22, p < .01. In beta regression analyses, the successful self-controlled food decisions decreased as the taste-oriented process increased, ß = - 0.50, z = -2.99, p < .005, and increased as the health-oriented process increased, ß = 1.57, z = 4.68, p < .001. Similarly, the successful self-controlled leisure activity decisions decreased as the enjoyment-oriented process increased, ß = - 0.79, z = -5.31, p < .001, and increased as the health-oriented process increased, ß = 0.66, z = 2.19, p < .05. The effects of the other factors were not significant. Overall, our findings demonstrated the mutual interrelationship between food and leisure activity decision-making and suggest that encouraging health-oriented processes may benefit both energy input and expenditure domains and improve self-controlled choices.