Religion helps people develop self-control, which at least one psychologist believes may explain why religious people have lower rates of substance abuse and depression, better academic success, lower levels of criminal behavior, better health, and longer lives.

Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami Department of Psychology combed through eighty years of research on religion for a report published in the journal Psychological Bulletin. Among his findings were that religious rituals affect the part of the brain that regulates self-control, which may explain why religious people are less likely to misuse drugs and alcohol or have criminal behaviors.

Dr. McCullough also found that since religious people believe their goals are "sacred," they put more energy into them, and are more likely than others to attain them.

Labels: depression, religion, self-control

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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 0 Comments