Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Many people assume that willpower is an innate ability that we either have or don't have. Others believe they can practice using their willpower and maybe strengthen it, like a muscle. Does the research on willpower support either of these ideas? If not, what is willpower? And how can we apply what we know about willpower to ensure we make better decisions?
References
1. Baumeister RF, Bratslavsky E, Muraven M, Tice DM. Ego depletion: is the active self a limited resource?. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1998;74(5):1252-1265. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.74.5.1252
2. Miller HC, Pattison KF, DeWall CN, Rayburn-Reeves R, Zentall TR. Self-control without a “self”? Common self-control processes in humans and dogs. Psychol. Sci. 2010;21(4):534-538. doi:10.1177/0956797610364968
Many people assume that willpower is an innate ability that we either have or don't have. Others believe they can practice using their willpower and maybe strengthen it, like a muscle. Does the research on willpower support either of these ideas? If not, what is willpower? And how can we apply what we know about willpower to ensure we make better decisions?
References
1. Baumeister RF, Bratslavsky E, Muraven M, Tice DM. Ego depletion: is the active self a limited resource?. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1998;74(5):1252-1265. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.74.5.1252
2. Miller HC, Pattison KF, DeWall CN, Rayburn-Reeves R, Zentall TR. Self-control without a “self”? Common self-control processes in humans and dogs. Psychol. Sci. 2010;21(4):534-538. doi:10.1177/0956797610364968
