Self-control is essential for adaptive functioning, yet traditional models portray it as effortful and resource-limited. Recent perspectives emphasise effortless self-control—automatic, proactive strategies that minimise subjective effort (Gillebaart & de Ridder, 2015; Gillebaart & Schneider, 2024). Drawing on the process model of self-control and the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 2004), this project proposes that positive affect broadens cognition and fosters early-stage, low-effort strategies such as situation selection, and this process will be moderated by trait self-control and mediated by heart rate variability (HRV). A pilot questionnaire study identifies which self-control strategies are perceived as effortless versus effortful and examines links with trait positive affect and trait self-control. Furthermore, a 14-day experience-sampling and HRV study tests whether momentary positive affect predicts subsequent use of effortless strategies, whether this relationship is moderated by trait self-control, and whether HRV mediates these effects. We expect early-stage strategies to be rated as more effortless. Individuals higher in positive affect and trait self-control are expected to use effortless strategies more frequently, with HRV mediating these associations. This research integrates affective, cognitive, and physiological perspectives to illuminate how positive emotions and HRV facilitate effortless self-control, advancing understanding of sustainable self-regulation and well-being.
Interpersonal extrinsic dysregulation refers to children’s challenges in managing the emotional states of others, particularly parents and peers, often resulting in adverse psychological outcomes. This theoretical paper introduces an integrative theoretical framework for conceptualising interpersonal extrinsic dysregulation, exploring how the reciprocal nature of emotional exchanges within family, peer, and educational settings can either support or undermine children's regulatory capacities. Emphasising the multi-layered and systemic nature of interpersonal extrinsic dysregulation, the framework maps how stressors across domains, including familial conflict, academic demands, and socio-cultural inequalities can interact and cascade over time, intensifying emotional instability and compromising mental health. The paper discusses theoretical implications and offers practical guidance for educators, caregivers, and policymakers, highlighting evidence-informed strategies for cultivating emotionally responsive environments.
Emotionally intelligent people regulate their emotions better than those with low emotional intelligence. However, the manner in which they achieve this is less clear. Literature on this topic is fragmented, with some research focusing on coping frameworks, while other research focuses on emotion regulation frameworks. To the present date, only one systematic review has been conducted a decade ago and only included studies on adult samples of non-clinical populations. We performed a systematic review using the PRISMA methodology. We searched Web of Science and Scopus for records that linked emotional intelligence with coping or emotion regulation strategies. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles, published in English or Spanish, on non-clinical samples. These results corroborate and expand those found by the previous review. Emotionally intelligent people actively try to tackle the situation or problem that is causing the emotion. They also use cognitive reappraisal to see things under a better perspective. Moreover, they don’t use maladaptive strategies such as blame, catastrophising, or rumination. They also don’t use denial or avoidance or resort to violence or drug abuse. Adolescents follow similar patterns, albeit the correlations found were weaker than those for adult samples.
Self-control, the ability to resist unwanted impulses and to initiate or persevere in unpleasant or difficult tasks, is important for achieving personal goals. Previous research suggests that self-control predicts well-being, which can be distinguished into affective (positive and negative affect) and cognitive (life satisfaction) components. Recently, however, Khoo et al. (2025) found that well-being predicts self-control, but not vice versa. Their study examined this relationship over 1- and 6-month intervals, leaving it unclear whether these findings generalise to everyday life. This is particularly relevant because self-control varies across situations in daily life, while affective well-being fluctuates throughout the day. Building on a completed pilot study, the present study investigates whether affective well-being predicts self-control in daily life or vice versa. We will use the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to assess both constructs over one week with five signals per day (N ≈ 400). Data will be analysed using Multilevel Structural Equation Modelling (MSEM) with lagged variables, and preliminary results will be presented at the conference. Ultimately, this study aims to clarify the temporal dynamics between self-control and affective well-being in daily life, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of their interplay in real-world contexts.
Contemporary theories of personality dynamics propose that adaptive functioning in daily life requires effective coordination of multiple goals. Goal conflict, where the pursuit of one goal lowers the ability to pursue another goal, and goal harmony, where the pursuit of one goal facilitates the pursuit of another, are typically viewed as direct opposites, but empirical evidence suggests that they represent distinct processes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate 1) the longitudinal dynamics of goal conflict and goal harmony in relation to each other in a 2) multilevel model that decomposes effects into examination of each pair of goals (within-person level) and aggregated across all goals (between-person level). Goal conflict and harmony were investigated in two studies (NTotal = 849) using multilevel random-intercept cross-lagged panel models. At the within-person level, goal harmony and goal conflict were negatively associated both at a concurrent and cross-lagged level. At the between-person level, goal conflict and goal harmony were not significantly associated. These findings indicate that goal harmony and goal conflict are in tension in the context of specific pairs of goals but not associated when considered across the entire goal system. This research advances our understanding of how people pursue multiple goals.
Recent models of trait self-control propose that it is more a matter of proactively avoiding or mitigating unwanted desires and emotions than directly resisting those desires and emotions in the moment. Some previous studies have provided indirect support for these models, but few, if any, studies have examined how a wide range of proactive strategies (used before a potential challenge occurs) are related to trait self-control and regulatory success in everyday life. In this experience sampling study, participants (N = 222) reported up to five times per day for one week on self-regulation challenges and their use of three preventative strategies (used to ward off potential challenges), nine other proactive strategies, twelve reactive strategies (used during a challenge), and response modulation. Multilevel modeling indicated that trait self-control predicted more use of each of these strategy types (B values between 0.02 and 0.04, SE = 0.01, all p ≤ 0.001). Also, greater trait self-control and greater use of each of these strategy types predicted greater regulatory success. These results suggest that self-controlled individuals effectively employ both proactive and reactive regulatory strategies, rather than relying on one of these strategy types to the exclusion of the other.