Citation

Findley M, Brown R. J. Soc. Psychol. 2018; 158(1): 23-36.

Affiliation

University of Oklahoma.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00224545.2017.1297287

PMID

28375737

Abstract

Individual differences in self-control have been shown to reflect two underlying dimensions: initiation and inhibition. We examined the possibility that degrees of self-control might likewise be modeled at a broader social level, similar to other socio-cultural differences that operate at an individual level (e.g., collectivism). To test this notion, we used a variety of mundane behaviors measured at the level of U.S. states to create inhibitory and initiatory indices of self-control at a collective level. We show that statewide levels of initiatory and inhibitory self-control, despite being correlated with one another, exhibit unique patterns of association with a wide range of outcomes, including homicide, suicide, home foreclosures, divorce, and infidelity. This study represents one of the first attempts to model the dimensional structure of self-control at a social level and supports the utility of conceptualizing self-control as an important socio-cultural variable.

Language: en

Keywords

Culture; geography; inhibition; initiation; self-control