Being active and impulsive: The role of goals for action and inaction in self-control

Although self-control often requires behavioral inaction (i.e., not eating a piece of cake), the process of inhibiting impulsive behavior is commonly characterized as cognitively active (i.e., actively exerting self-control). Two experiments examined whether motivation for action or inaction facilitates self-control behavior in the
presence of tempting stimuli. Experiment 1 used a delay discounting task to assess the ability to delay gratification with
respect to money. Experiment 2 used a Go/No-Go task to assess the ability to inhibit a dominant but incorrect motor response
to the words “condom” and “sex”. The results demonstrate that goals for inaction promote self-control, whereas goals for action
promote impulsive behavior. These findings are discussed in light of recent evidence suggesting that goals for action and
inaction modulate physiological resources that promote behavioral execution.