Abstract
Self-control is assessed using a remarkable array of measures. In a series of five data-sets (overall N = 2,641) and a mini meta-analysis, we explored the association between canonical operationalisations of self-control: The Self-Control Scale and two measures of inhibition-related executive functioning (the Stroop and Flanker paradigms). Overall, Bayesian correlational analyses suggested little-to-no relationship between self-reported self-control and performance on the Stroop and Flanker tasks. The Bayesian meta-analytical summary of all five data-sets further favoured a null relationship between both types of measurement. These results suggest that the field’s most widely used measure of self-reported self-control is uncorrelated with two of the most widely adopted executive functioning measures of self-control. Consequently, theoretical and practical conclusions drawn using one measure (e.g., the Self-Control Scale) cannot be generalised to findings using the other (e.g., the Stroop task). The lack of empirical correlation between measures of self-control do not invalidate either measure, but instead suggest that treatments of the construct of self-control need to pay greater attention to convergent validity among the many measures used to operationalize self-control.
Highlights
In a series of five data-sets and a mini meta-analysis, we explored the association between canonical operationalisations of self-control: The Self-Control Scale and two measures of inhibition-related executive functioning
General Discussion Combining 5 data-sets with over 2,600 participants, we found a consistent pattern of a small-to-zero relationship between self-reported self-control and two performance measures of inhibition-related executive functioning
Our results suggest that the Stroop and flanker tasks do not reflect the broader individual difference construct that is reflected in self-report scales, and, that scores on the self-control scale are not analogous to the processes assessed by the Stroop and flanker tasks
Summary
Remarkable is the array of measures used to assess self-control—from introspective self-report questionnaires to reaction-timed tests of executive functioning While such measures are undoubtedly diverse, what seems to unite them is the idea that they each tap some ability to override unwanted dominant impulses (Baumeister et al, 2014; Baumeister, 2014; Hofmann, Schmeichel, & Baddeley, 2012; Inzlicht, Schmeichel, & Macrae, 2014). We addressed these questions by examining the relationship between self-report measurements of selfcontrol and performance measures of inhibition-related executive functioning through five novel data-sets and a meta-analytical summary (N = 2,641).
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