What Tests Your Self-Control?

Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 17:29

Have you ever made a decision that you won"t eat a luring candy or sweets? Have you ever submitted yourself to temptation after that? Want to know what really tests your ? Here is the answer for you!

When it comes to choosing between a candy bar and healthy snack, our preference may not be a matter of free will. The decisions we make to indulge ourselves or exercise self-control depend on how the choices are presented. Certain words and concepts affect consumers' decisions for self-control or indulgence.

Consumer choices were affected by the actions most recently suggested to them by certain key words. People with self-control were more likely to choose a healthy snack (a granola bar) to be consumed right now, but an indulgent snack (a chocolate bar) to be consumed in the future. People with indulgence were more likely to choose an indulgent snack to be consumed right now but a healthy snack to be consumed in the future.

Researcher Juliano Laran from the University of Miami conducted this study. The study has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research.