Self-control: An integrative framework

Research on self-control has flourished within the last two decades, with many researchers trying to answer one of the most fundamental questions regarding human behaviour—how do we successfully regulate desires in the pursuit of long-term goals? While recent research has focused on different strategies to enhance self-control success, we still know very little about how strategies are implemented or where the need for self-control comes from in the first place. Drawing from parallel fields (e.g., emotion regulation, health) and other theories of self-regulation, we propose an integrative framework that describes self-control as a dynamic, multi-stage process that unfolds over time. In this review, we first provide an overview of this framework, which poses three stages of regulation: the identification of the need for self-control, the selection of strategies to regulate temptations, and the implementation of chosen strategies. These regulatory stages are then flexibly monitored over time. We then expand this framework by outlining a series of growth points to guide future research. By bridging across theories and disciplines, the present framework improves our understanding of how self-control unfolds in everyday life.     

Towards a synthetic model of own group biases in face memory

In the current work, we extend the Categorization-Individuation Model (Hugenberg, Young, Bernstein, & Sacco, 2010)—an existing model of the own race bias—to organize and explain the proliferation of own group biases in face memory. In this model, we propose that own group biases result from the coacting processes of social categorization,motivation to individuate, and individuation experience. This extended Categorization-Individuation Model affords a number of benefits. First, this model allows us to begin to consider various own group biases as manifestations a single class of phenomena, offering sensible predictions across and among biases. Further, this extended Categorization-Individuation Model makes novel predictions for how own group biases can be exacerbated and eliminated by both perceptual and motivational processes, allowing for potentially novel interventions forown group biases. Finally,we discuss a variety of open questions with regard to an extended Categorization-Individuation Model, with an eye towards framing future research questions.     

Mechanisms of motivation–cognition interaction: challenges and opportunities

Recent years have seen a rejuvenation of interest in studies of motivation–cognition interactions arising from many different areas of psychology and neuroscience. The present issue of Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience provides a sampling of some of the latest research from a number of these different areas. In this introductory article, we provide an overview of the current state of the field, in terms of key research developments and candidate neural mechanisms receiving focused investigation as potential sources of motivation–cognition interaction. However, our primary goal is conceptual: to highlight the distinct perspectives taken by different research areas, in terms of how motivation is defined, the relevant dimensions and dissociations that are emphasized, and the theoretical questions being targeted. Together, these distinctions present both challenges and opportunities for efforts aiming toward a more unified and cross-disciplinary approach. We identify a set of pressing research questions calling for this sort of cross-disciplinary approach, with the explicit goal of encouraging integrative and collaborative investigations directed toward them.     

The silent music sheet,the replica tin and the unsewn button: Materialising nostalgia in the Marks and Spencer's archive

This paper explores how nostalgia and collective memory are materialised, imagined, curated and orchestrated through the archive. Drawing upon the example of the Marks and Spencer's (M&S) archive, we argue that archives, particularly those containing objects, command nostalgia. They re-appropriate objects, memories and their histories into contemporary narratives. This paper adds to a body of work within and beyond geography and sociology exploring the potency and creativity of everyday materials and their ability to produce, imagine and memorialise affinities between people, places and past times. This raises questions about the politics of memory, the authenticity of objects and the nostalgic imaginaries they enliven, what we discuss as ‘faux nostalgia’. We illustrate how M&S is part of collective British memory, promoting middle-class ideals of British family life. The archive and objects on display materialise such imaginaries, creating a yearning for the spirit, values and opportunities of times gone by; interweaving them into contemporary narratives of family life to create unattainable ideals. We reflect upon the biographies of three objects from the archive: a music sheet, an unsewn button and a replica tin. By making these objects central to our account, we illustrate how they materialise and recollect nostalgia through the archive.     

Perceiving motion and rigid structure from optic flow: A combined weak-perspective and polar-perspective approach

Structure-from-motion algorithms based on weak-perspective projection have many interesting properties and could serve as a basis for a model of human perception of motion and structure from motion (M&SFM). There is some psychophysical evidence, however, that points to discrepancies between what can be accomplished with these algorithms and the performance of human subjects in certain M&SFM tasks. In light of this evidence, this paper presents a mechanism that both takes advantage of all the possibilities offered by a weak-perspective approach and behaves in a manner that is in close correspondence with human performance in M&SFM tasks. It consists of a novel weak-perspective—based method operating at small visual angles and a complementary, perspective-projection—based method operating at larger visual angles.     

Motivation and self‐regulation: The role of want‐to motivation in the processes underlying self‐regulation and self‐control

Research on self‐regulation has largely focused on the idea of effortful self‐control, which assumes that exerting willpower will lead to greater success. However, in recent years, research has challenged this perspective and instead proposes that effortless self‐regulation is more adaptive for long‐term goal pursuit. Taking into consideration the burgeoning literature on effortless self‐regulation, here we propose that motivation—or the reasons why we pursue our goals—plays an integral role in this process. The objective of the present paper is to highlight how motivation can play a role in how self‐regulation unfolds. Specifically, we propose that pursuing goals because you want‐to (vs. have‐to) is associated with better goal attainment as a function of experiencing less temptations and obstacles. While the reason why want‐to motivation relates to experiencing fewer obstacles has yet to be thoroughly explored, here we propose some potential mechanisms drawing from recent research on self‐regulation. We also provide recommendations for future research, highlighting the importance of considering motivation in the study of self‐regulatory processes.     

Interrogative Belief Revision in Modal Logic

The well known AGM framework for belief revision has recently been extended to include a model of the research agenda of the agent, i.e. a set of questions to which the agent wishes to find answers (Olsson & Westlund in Erkenntnis, 65, 165–183, 2006). The resulting model has later come to be called interrogative belief revision. While belief revision has been studied extensively from the point of view of modal logic, so far interrogative belief revision has only been dealt with in the metalanguage approach in which AGM was originally presented. In this paper, I show how to model interrogative belief revision in a modal object language using a class of operators for questions. In particular, the solution I propose will be shown to capture the notion of K-truncation, a method for agenda update in the case of expansion constructed by Olsson & Westlund. Two case studies are conducted: first, an interrogative extension of Krister Segerberg’s system DDL, and then a similar extension of Giacomo Bonanno’s modal logic for belief revision. Sound and complete axioms will be provided for both of the resulting logics.     

多项式加工树模型在再认启发式中的应用

摘 要 再认启发式利用再认线索进行决策。以往研究采用一致率、击中率、虚报率和区分指数来表示再认启发式使用,然而这些方法都存在局限。多项式加工树模型能够分离不同的认知加工过程,为了解决再认使用与知识使用的混淆,研究者提出一种多项式加工树模型 r-model 测量再认启发式的使用。本文将重 点介绍 r-model,具体包括 r-model 的内容、数据分析以及考虑个体差异的分层 r-model。最后,从 r-model 的模型修正和边界条件两个方面提出未来研究方向。 关键词 再认启发式;流畅启发式;多项式加工树;贝叶斯分层模型     

How lay theories of prejudice shape prejudice confrontations: Examining beliefs about prejudice prevalence,origins, and controllability

The formative framework in prejudice confrontations research has focused on the utility of confrontations to activate one's self-regulation strategies to interrupt unintentional prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping. As this framework remains dominant in the literature, little research has examined everyday people's theories about prejudice that diverge from this framework and accounted for these theories in investigating confrontation rates and outcomes. In this paper, we review key lay theories of prejudice and discuss the ways in which they may influence prejudice confrontations. First, we summarize lay theories regarding the prevalence, origins, and controllability of prejudice. Next, we consider how lay theories of prejudice may factor into the circumstances under which people confront prejudice, goals that people may hold when confronting, and outcomes of confronting for confronters and perpetrators. Throughout, we highlight fundamental research questions and hypotheses that integrate lay theories of prejudice and prejudice confrontations. We propose that better understanding lay theories of prejudice and how they influence prejudice confrontations may help to advance translational and theoretical research in social psychology.     

Three decades of Cognition & Emotion: A brief review of past highlights and future prospects

Over the past three decades, Cognition & Emotion has been one of the world’s leading outlets for emotion research. In this article, we review past highlights of and future prospects for the journal. Our tour of history covers three periods: The first period, from 1987 to 1999, was a pioneering era in which cognitive theories began to be applied to the scientific analysis of emotion. The second period, from 2000 to 2007, was characterised by a sharp increase in the number of empirical research papers, a lot of which were concerned with automatic processing biases and their implications for clinical psychology. During the third period, from 2008 to 2017, a new focus emerged on self-regulatory processes and their implications for emotion. We then turn to the present profile of Cognition & Emotion and introduce our new editorial team. Finally, we consider how the journal’s future success can be continued and increased by a) providing authors with fast and high-quality feedback; b) offering attractive publication formats, including the newly introduced Registered Reports for pre-registered studies; and c) consolidating key methodological paradigms with reproducible findings.     

Reengineering Biomedical Translational Research with Engineering Ethics

It is widely accepted that translational research practitioners need to acquire special skills and knowledge that will enable them to anticipate, analyze, and manage a range of ethical issues. While there is a small but growing literature that addresses the ethics of translational research, there is a dearth of scholarship regarding how this might apply to engineers. In this paper we examine engineers as key translators and argue that they are well positioned to ask transformative ethical questions. Asking engineers to both broaden and deepen their consideration of ethics in their work, however, requires a shift in the way ethics is often portrayed and perceived in science and engineering communities. Rather than interpreting ethics as a roadblock to the success of translational research, we suggest that engineers should be encouraged to ask questions about the socio-ethical dimensions of their work. This requires expanding the conceptual framework of engineering beyond its traditional focus on “how” and “what” questions to also include “why” and “who” questions to facilitate the gathering of normative, socially-situated information. Empowering engineers to ask “why” and “who” questions should spur the development of technologies and practices that contribute to improving health outcomes.     

Representations in the Human Prefrontal Cortex

ABSTRACT— The prefrontal cortex (PFC) in humans has been studied for more than a century, but many crucial questions about its functions remain unanswered. This paper will highlight a few key differences between human and animal PFCs, and between the human PFC (HPFC) and other parts of the human brain. We then make a case that the HPFC is critically important for executing behaviors over time and integrating disparate information from throughout the brain. Finally, we will focus on our position in the current debate regarding how the HPFC performs its functions and discuss future directions for research.     

The six most essential questions in psychiatric diagnosis: a pluralogue part 3: issues of utility and alternative approaches in psychiatric diagnosis

In face of the multiple controversies surrounding the DSM process in general and the development of DSM-5 in particular, we have organized a discussion around what we consider six essential questions in further work on the DSM. The six questions involve: 1) the nature of a mental disorder; 2) the definition of mental disorder; 3) the issue of whether, in the current state of psychiatric science, DSM-5 should assume a cautious, conservative posture or an assertive, transformative posture; 4) the role of pragmatic considerations in the construction of DSM-5; 5) the issue of utility of the DSM ?C whether DSM-III and IV have been designed more for clinicians or researchers, and how this conflict should be dealt with in the new manual; and 6) the possibility and advisability, given all the problems with DSM-III and IV, of designing a different diagnostic system. Part 1 of this article took up the first two questions. Part 2 took up the second two questions. Part 3 now deals with Questions 5 & 6. Question 5 confronts the issue of utility, whether the manual design of DSM-III and IV favors clinicians or researchers, and what that means for DSM-5. Our final question, Question 6, takes up a concluding issue, whether the acknowledged problems with the earlier DSMs warrants a significant overhaul of DSM-5 and future manuals. As in Parts 1 & 2 of this article, the general introduction, as well as the introductions and conclusions for the specific questions, are written by James Phillips, and the responses to commentaries are written by Allen Frances.     

Towards a multilevel approach of employee well-being

In this commentary, I respond to Ilies, Aw & Pluut’s (Intraindividual models of employee well-being: What have we learned and where do we go from here?, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, in press) call for a theory that distinguishes between traits and states of employee well-being. I use Job Demands–Resources theory to illustrate how we may integrate within- and between-person approaches and findings to design an overall multilevel model of employee well-being. My perspective builds on Ilies et al. and recent findings of research combining relatively stable “traits” with fluctuating states of employee well-being. My goals with this commentary are three-fold: (1) give more insight into possible differences between variables at different levels of analysis; (2) use research to show how trait and state levels of (predictors of) employee well-being may interact; (3) propose a multilevel model that may stimulate future research on the topic.     

The physical self-concept across childhood: Measurement development and meaning for physical activity

The physical self-concept is considered a significant predictor of physical activity and persistence in childhood and youth. Based on Shavelson, Stanton, and Hubner's (1976) hierarchical structure of self-concept, several approaches have been developed to measure physical self-perception. A multi-dimensional fitness-based approach by Marsh (1990) shows a valid method for measuring physical self-concept in all age groups from 8 years old to adulthood. Furthermore, following standard childhood fitness test dimensions, instruments have been developed for middle to late childhood (Dreiskämper, Tietjens, Honemann, Naul, & Freund, 2015a) and early childhood (Tietjens et al., 2018). However, based on Harter's (1980) approach of a more global and general skills-summarizing self-perception profile, other studies – preliminary coming from a motor development perspective – focused on measuring children's self-perception based on fundamental movement skills such as object control, locomotion, and stability. In this line, Estevan and Barnett (2018) proposed an adaption of Fox and Corbin's (1989) model. However, several research questions have remained unanswered because these different research directions have not been integrated yet: 1) How is the physical self-concept in childhood constructed, and how can it be measured? 2) How does the physical self-concept develop across childhood (and is this consistent with the assumptions about the self-concept as defined by Shavelson et al., 1976)? And 3) What is the role of physical self-concept in behavior (i.e., PA) and its antecedents in childhood (and how)? The purpose of this discussion paper is to address these three more or less open questions from a self-concept research perspective. To this end, the models of Shavelson et al. (1976) and Marsh (1990) will be drawn upon to integrate the recent research developments into a new classification of the physical self-concept and its development throughout childhood.     

Féminisation des professions : effet de la représentativité des femmes sur la réussite aux évaluations professionnelles

This study, conducted with militaries, examines the effects of having a job in a counter-stereotypical environment on women's success in professional evaluations, depending on the feminization rate of their professions. The scores of 1050 women and 1011 men in an examination have been analyzed. Both intergroup variability, women have lower scores than men whatever the nature of the questions, and intragroup variability, women have different level of performance in technical knowledge depending on the feminization rate of their profession, have been noticed. This research questions the role of assessment measures in regards to professional inequalities and the way feminization must be considered in traditionally male organizations.     

At the Heart of the Pregnancy: What Prenatal and Cardiovascular Genetic Counselors Need to Know about Maternal Heart Disease

In the last decade, an increasing number of cardiac conditions have been shown to have a genetic basis. Cardiovascular genetic counseling has emerged as a subspecialty aiming to identify unaffected at-risk individuals. An important sector of this at-risk population also includes expectant mothers, in whom unique clinical challenges may arise. Genetic counselors, especially those in cardiovascular and prenatal settings, have an opportunity to identify and assist women who may benefit from cardiovascular care during pregnancy. This paper provides basic management and genetic evaluation principles for affected women, as well as guidance on identifying those who are at risk. We provide considerations for cardiac surveillance in pregnancy and the post-partum period. Finally, key psychosocial issues that appraise how to best provide support to at risk women as they make informed decisions are discussed. We propose that a team approach including cardiology, maternal fetal medicine, and genetic counseling best serves this patient population. Ongoing questions addressing an evidence based approach to cardiovascular genetic conditions in pregnancy still remain. Thus, well-designed research protocols are essential to mark progress in this area.     

How often are thoughts metacognitive? Findings from research on self-regulated learning,think-aloud protocols,and mind-wandering

Metacognitive monitoring refers to how people evaluate their cognitive performance. An extensive literature examines how accurately individuals engage in monitoring. The question of how often individuals engage in metacognitive monitoring has been largely neglected, although one might expect situational, group, and individual variability in monitoring frequency. We argue that this is a critical omission, given that the frequency of metacognitive monitoring might have important implications for monitoring accuracy and task performance. Within this review, we highlight findings from three literatures, that each provide insight into how often individuals engage in monitoring. To clarify the important links and potential overlaps between these separate bodies of research, we begin by summarizing the metacognitive monitoring literature, including age-related patterns in monitoring accuracy. We then connect these questions regarding spontaneous monitoring, including age-related patterns in spontaneous monitoring, to targeted reviews of the self-regulated learning, think-aloud protocol, and mind-wandering literatures. We discuss situational and dispositional factors believed to influence monitoring accuracy, and propose that the same factors could potentially influence the frequency of spontaneous monitoring. Additionally, we propose that age-related increases in spontaneous monitoring (as suggested by age-related increases in TRI) may contribute to older adults’ intact monitoring abilities. It is our hope that this review will encourage increased attention and research on the topic of spontaneous monitoring.     

Defining the new concept of sustainable success – A state-of-the-art analysis on the phenomenon

Research on success and sustainability has been somewhat limited and narrow. Yet, in the current world, a positively oriented understanding about the concept of sustainable success is needed. The purpose of this research was to analyze what kind of research about sustainable success has been conducted and what the elements of sustainable success according to research found around this topic are. These questions were answered through a literature review or a state-of-the-art review that focused on nine articles that were chosen for a more detailed analysis. The findings illustrate how success and sustainability appeared as research targets and what the main elements of success and sustainability were in the data. None of the articles under review used positive psychological knowledge or strength-based approaches in their definition of success and sustainability. The need for a conceptual definition for sustainable success appeared evident. From the perspective adopted in this research, sustainable success consists of positive development, flourishing, and well-being, and also top performances. It is based on positive educational psychological knowledge. Educational psychological research alongside multidisciplinary perspectives can provide new and innovative ways of understanding and guiding people's behaviors toward sustainability.     

Toward a Personalized Science of Emotion Regulation

The ability to successfully regulate emotion plays a key role in healthy development and the maintenance of psychological well‐being. Although great strides have been made in understanding the nature of regulatory processes and the consequences of deploying them, a comprehensive understanding of emotion regulation that can specify what strategies are most beneficial for a given person in a given situation is still a far‐off goal. In this review, we argue that moving toward this goal represents a central challenge for the future of the field. As an initial step, we propose a concrete framework that (i) explicitly considers emotion regulation as an interaction of person, situation, and strategy, (ii) assumes that regulatory effects vary according to these factors, and (iii) sets as a primary scientific goal the identification of person‐, situation‐, and strategy‐based contingencies for successful emotion regulation. Guided by this framework, we review current questions facing the field, discuss examples of contextual variation in emotion regulation success, and offer practical suggestions for continued progress in this area.