The Ability to Resist Temptation is Contagious
Self control or the ability to regulate our own thoughts and emotions to achieve a behavior change is a complex high-load cognitive process. In the best case, when designing programs for behavior change, we invoke groups, devices and environmental factors to help distribute some of this cognitive load. Leaving all the mental work for behavior change with the individual is likely to lead to failure.
So I am always on the look out for new scientific studies that shed light on how to distribute the cognitive load of behavior change to other people, devices, workspaces and even smart machines. Found an excellent post describing a new scientific study on Self-Control and Peer Groups on the Frontal Cortex. To quote:
”…according to a new study by Michelle vanDellen, a psychologist at the University of Georgia, self-control contains a large social component; the ability to resist temptation is contagious. The paper consists of five clever studies, each of which demonstrates the influence of our peer group on our self-control decisions.”
In short, under many circumstances, watching someone else exert self-control increases the likelihood that we will exert it too. No surprise to the cognitive designer but such studies lend scientific evidence to the view.
