Glossary
Self-Regulation
What is self-regulation?
Self-regulation includes the processes we use to pursue goals: choosing them, monitoring progress, adjusting what we do, and managing attention and emotion. The goal can be immediate or long-term.
What it involves
Sometimes it means resisting a distraction. Sometimes it means changing the plan. It can draw on attention control, working memory, and the ability to shift approaches when circumstances change.
Example of self-regulation
A student sets a study goal, notices that the current schedule leaves too little time, and changes the plan. Resisting a distracting message can be part of that process. Self-control concerns the conflict with an immediate impulse; self-regulation also includes choosing the goal and adjusting the approach.
Why it matters
Self-regulation offers one way to understand problems such as procrastination. But calling something a failure of self-regulation does not tell you why it happened. Health, resources, circumstances, and the suitability of the task also matter.
Interventions may use goal setting, self-monitoring, or emotion-regulation strategies. A review of 66 meta-analyses found that their effects varied by behavior and population. Direct evidence for the proposed mechanisms was limited.