Cognitive Design

Self regulation includes the automatic and conscious mental processes we use to manage our emotions, drive states (hungry, thirst, need for sleep, sexual urges), cravings and thoughts in order to control behavior and reach a goal.  Self regulation is fundamental for success especially when we need to make and sustain behavior change. 

Designing programs, products and services that help people make behavior change is big business and it requires deep insight into the cognition of self-regulation if it is to be done effectively.  

Recent research from the University of Miami  sheds some new light on the issue by suggesting that religion may have developed, at least in part, because of it ability to help people exercise self control.  

But why would the religious be more inclined to self control?

The  research suggests (and I quote):  

*  Religious rituals such as prayer and meditation affect the parts of the human brain that are most important for self-regulation and self-control;

*  When people view their goals as “sacred,” they put more energy and effort into pursuing those goals, and therefore, are probably more effective at attaining them;

*  Religious lifestyles may contribute to self-control by providing people with clear standards for their behavior, by causing people to monitor their own behavior more closely, and by giving people the sense that God is watching their behavior;

 Some strong hints here for the creative designer interested in developing artifacts that support and promote self regulation. If you want to dig deeper (26 page PDF) try, Religion, Self-Regulation, and Self-Control: Associations, Explanations

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 1st, 2009 at 6:27 am and is filed under Behavior Change, Cognitive Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.