How you talk to yourself influences your self-control regarding food, alcohol, drugs, and impulsive behaviors, according to a new study from the University of Toronto.

• Lead author Alexa Tullet monitored 37 people as they try to master a computer game.
• One group could use "self-talk" to encourage themselves to be successful and avoid impulsive moves.
• The other group had to keep repeating the word "computer" aloud so as to make self- dialogue impossible.
• The second group had more trouble controlling their impulsive behaviors.

"Telling yourself, 'Stick to that diet, stick to that diet' ... that kind of self talk actually contributes to self-control," said Michael Inzlicht, who supervised the study. "When we don't have the ability to engage in this kind of self-talk, we have less ability to control ourselves."

The study appears in the journal Acta Psychologica.

Labels: self-control

Posted By: Jane St. Clair