Trait Self-Control and Impulses 2

A central assumption in research on self-control is that impulses influence the self-regulatory behavior of individuals who are low in trait self-control, whereas those high in trait self-control are assumed to more readily override their impulses and to prevent those impulses from influencing behavior. The present research addresses this central assumption directly by assessing individual differences in trait self-control as well as in impulsive precursors of behavior. As expected, impulsive precursors translated into behavior for individuals who were low, but not high in trait self-control. This pattern emerged for the consumption of a tempting product in a taste-and-rate task (Study 1), and self-reported alcohol consumption (Studies 2a and 2b). The findings persisted when controlling for the related construct of trait impulsivity, and replicated across different measures of impulsive precursors of behavior. The results illustrate the dynamic interplay between impulses and trait self-control in the determination of self-regulatory behavior