Self-Control in Animals and People

Self-Control in Animals and People takes an interdisciplinary look at self-control, how it works, and if humans are alone in their ability to exercise self-control. The book outlines the historical and recent approaches to learning when self-control succeeds and fails, also discussing which species share the ability to anticipate future outcomes. Readers will find an in-depth exploration on delaying gratification, the ways in which people and animals exhibit self-control, and what influences the capacity and expression of self-control. In addition, the book covers self-control research and outlines how to create fair tests for determining self-control in non-human animals.

Presents an integrative look at the ways in which people and animals exhibit self-controlProvides a comprehensive perspective of the evolutionary emergence of self-control across speciesExplores whether self-control can be improved or strengthenedStudies different kinds of self-control and their links to one anotherIncludes insights on mental time travel (chromesthesia) and how it relates to self-controlDemonstrates how to develop self-control tests for human and non-human animals, and how to make fair and clear comparisons among those groups

1. What is Self-Control and What is it Good For? 2. Self-Control and Other Forms of Inhibitory Control 3. Human Intertemporal Choices: Choosing Between Now and Later 4. Intertemporal Choices by Nonhuman Animals 5. Children’s Delay of Gratification: How Long Would You Wait for Marshmallows? 6. The Reverse-Reward Task: Why Pointing Away from What You Want is so Difficult for Animals 7. Would Animals Pass a Version of the Marshmallow Test? 8. Other Tests of Self-Control and Delay of Gratification in Animals 9. How Do We Know Whether We Are Measuring Self-Control? Methodological Concerns Lead to a New Test 10. Is Self-Control Like a Muscle? 11. Do Animals Flex Their Own Self-Control "Muscle"? 12. Are Animal Tests of Self-Control All Measuring the Same Thing? 13. Self-Control and Social Settings 14. Mental Time Travel: What Is It, and How Does It Relate to Self-Control? 15. Worth Waiting For: Final Thoughts on Self-Control and the Future of Future-Oriented Research with People and Animals