Question

essay on consequences of losing self control

Answer 1

Self-control, an aspect of inhibitory control, is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses.[1][2] As anexecutive function, self-control is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specificgoals.[2][3]

A related concept in psychology is emotional self-regulation.[4] Self-control is like a muscle. According to studies, self-regulation, whether emotional or behavioral, was proven to be a limited resource which functions like energy.[5] In the short term, overuse of self-control will lead to depletion.[6] However, in the long term, the use of self-control can strengthen and improve over time.[2][6]

Self-control is also a key concept in thegeneral theory of crime, a major theory incriminology. The theory was developed byMichael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi in their book titled A General Theory of Crime, published in 1990. Gottfredson and Hirschi define self-control as the differential tendency of individuals to avoid criminal acts independent of the situations in which they find themselves.[7] Individuals with low self-control tend to be impulsive, insensitive towards others, risk takers, short-sighted, and nonverbal. The general theory of crime holds that self-control is established in early childhood through three major factors: the strength of the parent-to-child emotional bond, adequate supervision by parents, parents' ability to recognize punishable behavior, and appropriate discipline by parents.