The Boston Globe: Self-control is generally thought to be a limited resource; studies have shown that it’s depleted by exertion, like muscle power. But a team of researchers is challenging the “energy model” of self-control: In new research, they found no evidence that depletion of self-control corresponded to blood sugar More
Pacific Standard: Given the tone-deaf comments a wealthy political figure recently made while addressing some equally affluent donors, you’d almost think money makes a person less able to relate to the feelings of others. And, according to newly published research, you’d be absolutely right. “Financial incentives lead individuals to see More
TIME: Why does willpower often seem to fail us, just when we need it most? Some researchers argue that willpower is a limited resource that wears out, like a muscle exhausted by overuse. Other experts say that our will may falter only if we think it’s fallible: if we believe More
Los Angeles Times: As U.S. health authorities prosecute an all-out war against obesity, a small cadre of researchers is warning that the nation’s 78 million obese adults and 12.5 million obese children are already suffering collateral damage. The message that they will become victims of self-inflicted disease, poor role models More
New Statesman: Something’s happened to US campaign slogans. Something affirmative. Inspiring. Motivational. Yes! They’ve become self-help mantras. Romney has his rather hectoring “Believe in America” and Obama the grammatically pointed “Forward.” – the much discussed full stop signifying, apparently, a mind set on its course. Last election, of course, we More
So many acts in our daily lives – refusing that second slice of cake, walking past the store with the latest gadgets, working on your tax forms when you’d rather watch TV – seem to boil down to one essential ingredient: self-control. Self-control is what enables us to maintain healthy More
