Self control, types of arousal and healthy or unhealthy choices
February 2011

In order to resist temptations and make choices that are healthy and have long-term benefits, a person needs to be both in a positive frame of mind and have the available mental energy needed to make good choices.

This is an important conclusion from the authors who in three studies, found that arousal interfered with the effects of positive mood to influence resistance to tempting food.

According to this new research published in the Journal of Consumer Research, you might want to avoid food shopping right after a heavy workout or drinking after an intense day of high-powered negotiations.

In one study, the authors asked some participants to watch a positive but calm movie clip while another set of participants watched a positive but arousing movie clip. All participants were then asked to choose between two snacks: a cup of grapes and a cup of M&Ms.

"The results showed that those participants who watched the arousing movie clip were more likely to choose M&Ms than those who watched the calm clip. Moreover, when participants who watched the calm movie clip would choose M&Ms, they were more likely to carefully regulate or monitor the amount of M&Ms they ate," the authors write.

In another study, the researchers added exercise to the mix. Participants who watched the calm movie and performed a light exercise on a stepstool were more likely to choose M&Ms than those who were sedentary.

"While happy people make better and healthier choices, this is dependent on the intensity of the positive feelings experienced. In other words, the level of arousal accompanying the positive mood state can interfere with the beneficial effect of positive mood on resistance to temptation," write authors Alexander Fedorikhin (Indiana University) and Vanessa M. Patrick (University of Houston).

Self-control and choices: Why we take the easy path after exerting ourselves

After a rough day at the office, you might opt for a convenient, pretty restaurant over one with a top-notch menu, according to another new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

"If you've had a tough day at work, how will that affect the decisions you make, like where to eat, what to do, and what to buy?" ask authors Echo Wen Wan (University of Hong Kong) and Nidhi Agrawal (Northwestern University).

Their research revealed that people who are tired from a demanding task will tend to pass up the most desirable choices and go for options that seem to have attractive low-level features.

"After a depleting task people were more likely to pass up the option that was most desirable, widest in scope, and best in primary traits and instead chose the option with lower-level features," the authors write.

For example, the authors predict that after a difficult flight, a consumer would most likely choose a restaurant with a great view over one with excellent food. And someone who just finished a big presentation would opt for a convenient concert over one by a favorite band.

They discovered that participants who felt depleted after completing a self-control task chose easy jobs over interesting ones and weekly calendars over months ones—demonstrating a preference for short-term value.

"When we feel fresh it's relatively easy for us to focus on the primary features of a product, consider the outcome of a choice, and value the long-term benefits of an action," the authors explain.

"However when we feel depleted from exerting self-control, we start to attend to the non-central minor aspects, think about how feasible it is to engage in the choice, and sometimes emphasize short-term rewards."

The authors also found they could prompt participants to think at higher levels. In one experiment, depleted individuals chose an art exhibit that was convenient. But when they were primed to think at a higher level, they chose the exhibit by an artist they liked.

Bibliography - Sources

1. University of Chicago Press Journals
2. Positive Mood and Resistance to Temptation: The Interfering Influence of Elevated Arousal, Journal of Consumer Research, December 2010.
3. Carry-Over Effects of Self-Control on Decision-Making: A Construal Level Perspective, Journal of Consumer Research, August 2011.