AUTHOR=Kruschwitz Johann D. , Goschke Thomas , Ahmed Mohamed Ali Elkhansa , Kraehe Anne-Carolin , Korb Franziska Maria , Walter Henrik 

TITLE=The role of anticipated emotions in self-control: linking self-control and the anticipatory ability to engage emotions associated with upcoming events

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1152155

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1152155

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>Self-control is typically attributed to “cold” cognitive control mechanisms that top-down influence “hot” affective impulses or emotions. In this study we tested an alternative view, assuming that self-control also rests on the ability to anticipate emotions directed toward future consequences. Using a behavioral within-subject design including an emotion regulation task measuring the ability to voluntarily engage anticipated emotions towards an upcoming event and a self-control task in which subjects were confronted with a variety of everyday conflict situations, we examined the relationship between self-control and anticipated emotions. We found that those individuals (<italic>n</italic> = 33 healthy individuals from the general population) who were better able to engage anticipated emotions to an upcoming event showed stronger levels of self-control in situations where it was necessary to resist short-term temptations or to endure short-term aversions to achieve long-term goals. This finding suggests that anticipated emotions may play a functional role in self-control-relevant deliberations with respect to possible future consequences and are not only inhibited top-down as implied by “dual system” views on self-control.</p>