Daly, M. and Baumeister, R. F. and Delaney, L. and MacLachlan, Malcolm (2014) Self-control and its relation to emotions and psychobiology: evidence from a Day Reconstruction Method study. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 37 (1). pp. 81-93. ISSN 0160-7715

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Abstract

This study aimed to ascertain whether self-control predicts heart rate, heart rate variability, and the cortisol slope, and to determine whether health behaviors and affect patterns mediate these relationships. A sample of 198 adults completed the Self-Control Scale (Tangney in J Pers 72:271-322, 2004), and reported their exercise levels, and cigarette and alcohol use. Participants provided a complete account of their emotional experiences over a full day, along with morning and evening salivary cortisol samples and a continuous measure of cardiovascular activity on the same day. High trait self-control predicted low resting heart rate, high heart rate variability, and a steep cortisol slope. Those with high self-control displayed stable emotional patterns which explained the link between self-control and the cortisol slope. The self-controlled smoked less and this explained their low heart rates. The capacity to sustain stable patterns of affect across diverse contexts may be an important pathway through which self-control relates to psychophysiological functioning and potentially health.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Personality; Self-control; Cortisol; Heart rate; Heart rate variability; Affect variability; Day Reconstruction Method;
Academic Unit:	Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	16483
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-012-9470-9
Depositing User:	Malcolm MacLachlan
Date Deposited:	06 Sep 2022 14:28
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Publisher:	Springer
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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