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Need Willpower? Clench Up
People often clench their muscles as a response to an unfavorable
stimulus -- say, clenching your teeth before the climax in a horror
movie or tightening your legs before impact in an accident.
But what about tightening your muscles as a proactive measure? Can
tensing the muscles ease the short-term experience of unpleasant
situations, such as ingesting nasty medicine, for long-term gain? Indeed, that's what researchers Iris Hung of the National University
of Singapore and Aparna Labroo from the University of Chicago found in
their study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. The researchers designed four studies to put participants through a
range of self-control dilemmas that involved accepting immediate pain
for a longer-term good. One study involved participants submerging their hands in ice
buckets, another had participants imbibe a vinegary swill that boosted
health but tasted awful and a third exposed the participants to
disturbing photos of Haitian earthquake victims in need of help.
The fourth study is tamer yet commonplace. Participants shopped for food choices in a cafeteria under observation. In all four studies, the muscle clenchers exercised self control for their greater benefit. "Participants who were instructed to tighten their muscles,
regardless of which muscles they tightened -- hand, finger, calf or
biceps -- while trying to exert self-control demonstrated greater
ability to withstand the pain, consume the unpleasant medicine, attend
to the immediately disturbing but essential information or overcome
tempting foods," the authors write.
However, two restrictions were found. First, muscle tightening will
only work if the choice aligns with the participants' goals. They have
to want to eat healthier to be affected by the self-control clench.
Second, the tightening has to occur at the moment of decision.
Pre-clenching only wears one out.
The researchers believe the mind-body connection accounts for the muscle-willpower impact.
"Simply engaging in these bodily actions can serve as a non-conscious
source to recruit willpower, facilitate self-control and improve
consumer wellbeing," the authors write.
So next time a tempting vice catches your eye, clench your muscles and soldier on.
Need Willpower? Clench Up |
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