Self-control is an inhibitory control element, which underscores the capacity to regulate or control one’s behavior, thoughts, and emotions when triggered and tempted. Mamayek et al. (2016) distinguish this conceptualization as a cognitive process deemed essential in modulating a person’s deportment to attain specific objectives. Furthermore, Mamayek et al. (2016) highlight the underlying relationship between deviance and self-control, arguing that low self-control is directly linked to criminal acts and vice versa. Personality characteristics associated with self-control include emotional stability, conscientiousness, sensation seeking, and impulsivity. According to Mamayek et al. (2016), a negative correlation exists between self-control and sensation-seeking, and impulsivity. Contrarily, there is a positive interconnection amid emotional stability and conscientiousness.
Impulsivity is a critical self-control component that underscores the predisposition or susceptibility towards unplanned rapid responses to external or internal stimuli without considering the negative impacts of these reactions to oneself and others. Behavioral measures used to evaluate impulsivity include consequence sensitivity, response inhibition, and response initiation. Mamayek et al. (2016) identify emotional stability as an individual’s capacity to remain balanced and stable in the face of adversity. It underscores a person’s ability to withstand challenging situations, maintain their morality, and manage difficulties through time. People with high conscientiousness levels are typically self-disciplined; they are inclined to abide by the stipulated plan or rules instead of acting spontaneously. Furthermore, sensation-seeking refers to a self-control feature defined by the search for intense, complex, novel, and varied feelings and encounters or experiences and the willingness to take financial, legal, social, and physical risks to achieve such experiences.
References
Mamayek, C., Paternoster, R., & Loughran, T. A. (2017). Self-control as self-regulation: A return to control theory. Deviant Behavior, 38(8), 895-916. Web.
Nodeland, B., & Morris, R. (2018). A test of social learning theory and self-control on cyber offending. Journal of Deviant Behavior, 41(1), 41–56. Web.