The current work examined how social factors influence self-control. Current conceptions of state self-control treat it largely as a function of regulatory capacity.
The authors propose that state self-control might also be influenced by social factors because of regulatory accessibility.
Studies 1 through 4 provide evidence that individuals’ state self-control is influenced by the trait and state self-control of salient others such that thinking of others with good trait or state self-control leads to increases in state self-control and thinking of others with bad trait or state self-control leads to decreases in state self-control. Study 5 provides evidence that the salience of significant others influences both regulatory accessibility and state self-control.
Combined, these studies suggest that the effects of social influences on state self-control occur through multiple mechanisms.
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