1. Self-Regulation
September 23rd, 2009 : Lecture 4

2. Schematic Processing
Classic example from last lecture:

3. Lecture Overview Self-regulation: Overview Delay of Gratification
Self-regulatory Strategies
Cost of Self-control

4. Self-Regulation
The strategies used to control (regulate) your behaviour
Pursuit of a long-term goal
Monitor your response to environmental stimuli

5. Delay of Gratification
The ability to forgo an immediate reward for a larger, future reward

6. Delay of Gratification
Mischel (1966), aka “The Bing Study”
Method:

7. Delay of Gratification

8. Delay of Gratification
Later in life, those who can delay gratification:
Higher verbal and math SAT scores
Parents:
Better able to concentrate
Better able to cope with frustration and stress
Parents and teachers:
Greater cognitive and social competence ratings

9. Self-Regulatory Strategies
Self-Distancing
Emotion Regulation

10. Self-Distancing iClicker A B
How do you recall negative emotional events?
Self-immersed perspective
Recall event in the first-person (i.e., from the perspective of your own eyes)
Self-distanced perspective
Recall event in the third-person (i.e., from the perspective of an observer)
iClicker A B

11. Self-Distancing
Ayduk & Kross (2008)
Method: 90 participants

12. Self-Distancing
Ayduk & Kross (2008)
Results: Emotional Intensity

13. Self-Distancing
Ayduk & Kross (2008)
Results: Blood Pressure

14. Emotion Regulation
Self-regulation specific to the control of emotional experience

15. How Do You Control Your Emotions?
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
I control my emotions by changing the way I think about the situation I’m in.
I control my emotion by not expressing them.
When I want to feel less negative emotion, I change the way I’m thinking about the situation.
When I am feeling negative emotions, I make sure not to express them.
When I want to feel more positive emotion, I change what I’m thinking about.
I keep my emotions to myself.

16. How Do You Control Your Emotions?
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
I control my emotions by changing the way I think about the situation I’m in.
I control my emotion by not expressing them.
When I want to feel less negative emotion, I change the way I’m thinking about the situation.
When I am feeling negative emotions, I make sure not to express them.
When I want to feel more positive emotion, I change what I’m thinking about.
I keep my emotions to myself.

17. Iclicker: Self-Regulation
A = Higher Score to Odd-Numbered Items
B = Higher Score to Even-Numbered Items
C = Essentially equal (within 2 points of each other)

18. Emotion Regulation Response-focused Antecedent-focused
3 Primary Strategies:
Suppression
Reappraisal
Situation Selection
Response-focused
Antecedent-focused

19. Suppression
Inhibiting emotion- expressive behaviour while emotionally aroused

20. Reappraisal
Interpreting potentially emotion-relevant stimuli in unemotional terms

21. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Method: 120 participants

22. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Results: Observer-rated disgust

23. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Results: Blood to peripheries (Finger Pulse Amp.)

24. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Results: Finger temperature

25. Reappraisal and Suppression
Gross (1998)
Results: Skin conductance level

26. Emotion Regulation Requires a Lot of Effort
3 Primary Strategies:
Suppression
Reappraisal
Situation Selection
Requires a Lot of Effort
Requires Relatively Little Effort

27. Cost of Self-Regulation
Inzlicht & Gutsell (2007)
Method: 40 UTSC students

28. Cost of Self-Regulation
Inzlicht & Gutsell (2007)
Results: Stroop Effect

29. Cost of Self-Regulation
Inzlicht & Gutsell (2007)
Results: Error-related Negativity

30. Scope of Self-Regulatory Costs
Self-regulation in one domain affects ability to exert control on subsequent tasks in another domain

31. Scope of Self-Regulatory Costs
Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice (1998)
Methods:

32. Scope of Self-Regulatory Costs
Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice (1998)
Results:

33. 4 Oreos Are Better than 2 Next Lecture (9/25):
Perceiving and Predicting Others
Related Websites:
PSYBlog - Improve your self-control:
O Magazine - Self-distancing: