Psychology Professor at Texas A&M Receives Award for Study Examining Causes of Failure of Self-Control Through ARRA
Dr. Brandon Schmeichel, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, has been awarded $374,865, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), for his study titled “Distinguishing Impulse Strength from Self-control Strength as Causes of Self-control Failure.”
Dr. Schmeichel’s research work focuses on self-control. Self-control failure plays a central role in several undesirable behaviors, from unhealthy eating and extravagant spending to violent behavior and drug abuse.
Dr. Schmeichel notes that self-control is an important key to success in life. Individuals who succeed at self-control enjoy more satisfying interpersonal relationships, better physical health, and greater well-being than people who lack self-control. Understanding the underpinnings of self-control is therefore crucial for understanding success in life. The purpose of the ARRA-funded proposal is to integrate theory and research regarding impulse strength and self-control strength—two major causes of self-control outcomes that have been studied separately in previous research.
Dr. Schmeichel proposes that impulse strength (i.e., the motivational force of an impulse) and self-control strength (i.e., the person’s capacity to control impulses) are distinct, but interact dynamically, to cause self-control failure. He believes that exercising self-control may lead to a temporary increase in impulse strength, which in turn may increase the likelihood of self-control failure.
In addition to short-term changes in impulse strength, the project will also examine individual differences in impulse and self-control strength to highlight their contributions to failures of self-control.
The proposed research features several different manipulations and measures of impulse strength and self-control strength, respectively, including:
- visual attention,
- attentional focus,
- startle responses,
- impulse control,
- pain tolerance,
- participants’ self-reports, and
- brain activity.
The use of multiple measures will increase the validity of the research, spanning multiple levels of analysis.
The significance of the research and its broader impact both stem from the implications for understanding the causes of self-control failure. For example, learning whether failures of self-control come mainly from overly strong impulses or weak self-control strength will suggest the most promising routes by which to minimize self-control failure.
Dr. Schmeichel’s work supports the purpose and goals of ARRA in several ways. The funds provided by the grant will help create jobs; through the grant, he will be able employ graduate students in positions that would not have otherwise been funded, or he can hire a lab manager to facilitate the research. Either way, new positions will be created.
The grant will also help build the research infrastructure in the psychology department, and contribute to the overall research mission of Texas A&M, since funds from the grant can be used to purchase equipment that will continue to be useful after the project has concluded.
In addition, part of ARRA’s objective is also “addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century.” Dr. Schmeichel’s research is relevant in this regard as well. The topic of self-control, and understanding why it seems to fail in some cases, is a pressing social challenge, because self-control plays a role in all kinds of things that have social costs¾drug or substance abuse, violent behavior and aggression, and ethical behavior.
This project serves as an important demonstration of the benefits of the ARRA program to research initiatives at Texas A&M University. For more information on ARRA at Texas A&M, visit the Texas A&M ARRA Research and Development Information website at http://rgs.tamu.edu/arra/ .
Dr. Eddie Harmon-Jones, professor, Department of Psychology, is a co-investigator on this project. A profile of Dr. Harmon-Jones is available at the Department of Psychology website at http://psychology.tamu.edu/Fac_Ext.php?ID=138. Dr. Schmeichel’s profile is available at http://psychology.tamu.edu/Fac_Ext.php?ID=157 .
