Can Cognitive Training Boost Self-Control?
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I’m someone who when sat in front of a fast food menu will always make a beeline for the most artery-clogging burger and a large fries. At the same time, I’m fascinated by those around me who will happily order “regular” or “small” servings (or even the dreaded “healthy” alternative). How do they resist temptation? What distinguishes these intriguing individuals from the rest of us – and, by the way, where can I get some more of that prized self-control?
I’m not alone. Understanding what self-control is and how it works has fascinated cognitive psychologists for decades, and more recently has led to the idea that perhaps we can harness our knowledge of cognition to temper compulsive behaviours. With over 50 per cent of adults in Europe now either overweight or obese, and numbers rising by 1 per cent per annum, even a modest effect of cognitive training could have major socioeconomic benefits. And that’s not even considering the potential it has for managing other addictions, such as alcohol dependence, smoking or gambling.
Cognitive theories tell us that one way of enhancing self-control may be to change the automatic associations we build throughout our lives between the stimuli around us and our responses. In 2011, Dr Katrijn Houben from the University of Maastricht provided support for this idea by showing that training people to stop simple motor actions to unhealthy foods reduced consumption of those foods in a lab setting. Other studies have shown how this type of training can encourage people to view ‘inhibited’ foods as more negative and less desirable.
Read original articleTags: Cognitive Training, Self-Control
