The Motivational Dimension of Self-Control: Preference for Meaning Over Pleasure

We examined the motivational dimension of self-control, hypothesizing that high self-control individuals prefer meaningful (eudaimonic) activities over pleasurable (hedonic) ones. Across three studies (2 pre-registered, N = 960, gender balanced) we found support for this hypothesis with participants rating imagined and actual activities. Our findings challenge traditional assumptions of self-control.