People who rely on willpower to resist temptations and reach their objectives are seen as more reliable than those who utilize methods that rely on external rewards or punishments, such as swear jars or internet-blocking apps, according to a recent study published by the American Psychological Association.The concept of using external commitment strategies to conquer self-control issues has been around for centuries, dating back to the time of Homer and Odysseus. According to Ariella Kristal, PhD, of Columbia University, the focus has traditionally been on how effective these strategies are for the individual utilizing them. Previous research has indicated that Odysseus was wise to tie himself to the mast instead of relying solely on willpower to resist the sirens in the moment. These approaches, known as commitment strategies, have been proven to enhance success in a range of situations.Understanding how commitment strategies impact others’ perceptions of people using them is important, as these strategies can be beneficial in achieving various goals such as smoking cessation, weight loss, academic achievement, and saving money, according to Kristal. However, there has been limited research on this topic. To address this gap, Kristal and her co-author, Julian Zlatev, PhD, of Harvard Business School, conducted a series of online experiments involving over 2,800 participants from the United States. The results of their research were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology..
During most of the studies, participants were given a hypothetical scenario where people were trying to reach a goal using either willpower or a commitment strategy. For example, in one study, they were asked to evaluate the honesty of fictional characters who either used willpower to resist a bad habit (like eating junk food or drinking alcohol) or paid $5 every time they gave in to the bad habit. In another scenario, the fictional characters either relied on willpower or used an app to avoid distracting websites such as Facebook or Instagram.
Overall, the individuals who were portrayed as using the commitment strategy were viewed in a more positive light compared to those using willpower.Strategies to achieve their goals were considered less reliable when people used them along with willpower. In two studies, it was found that participants were more inclined to view hypothetical users of commitment strategies as less trustworthy, even though they acknowledged the strategies were more effective than willpower alone. Additionally, in another study, participants were less likely to opt for an external commitment strategy if they thought others might become aware of it. “People seem especially reluctant to embrace commitment strategies when their use will be disclosed, and, although to a lesser extent, people’The resistance to using commitment strategies remains high even when it is done privately,” Kristal explained. “Despite acknowledging the benefits of these strategies, people still tend to resist using them.”
According to the researchers, opting for commitment strategies can be perceived by others as a personal flaw. In other words, individuals who rely on external assistance instead of relying solely on willpower are viewed as having a history of failure and being less capable of overcoming self-control issues on their own.
“Previous self-control failures can be interpreted by others as a moral deficiency.Failures. According to Kristal, morality is a crucial part of integrity and trustworthiness. People who depend on commitment strategies may be seen as less trustworthy than those who rely on willpower alone. Kristal also mentioned that these findings are significant for creating programs and initiatives that use external strategies to assist people in reaching their goals. By studying how interpersonal judgments affect the choice of self-control strategies, we can gain insight into why people may not adopt these helpful strategies and how to encourage their effective use.
Journal Reference:
- Ariella S. Kristal, Julian J. Zlatev. Exploring the interpersonal effects of commitment strategies beyond individual self-control.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2024; DOI: 10.1037/pspa0000385