Uncovering the Longitudinal and Physiological Associations between Self-Control, Delay of Gratification and Future Thinking

<p>High self-control, better delay of gratification, and future thinking have long been linked theoretically and, more recently, empirically, yet evidence of the causal relationships between them is non-existent. The present research aimed firstly to elucidate the nature of the relationships between self-control, delay of gratification and future thinking, and secondly to investigate whether they are rooted in our physiology. In Study 1, a sample of 174 undergraduates completed a self-report survey three times with 2-month intervals in between. Longitudinal mediation path models were constructed to determine whether and how self-control would function as a mediator between delay of gratification at Time 1 and consideration of future consequences at Time 3. Results showed that delay of gratification predicted higher self-control, which in turn predicted higher concern for future consequences (CFC-F) and a lower concern for immediate consequences (CFC-I). Study 2 further explored this relationship by investigating whether temporal orientation grouping – high- vs. low-CFC – would predict subsequent levels of self-control and delay of gratification in a study of 71 undergraduates. Heart rate variability and cortisol were also examined. Results showed that by grouping participants in terms of CFC it was possible to predict subsequent levels of self-control and gratification delay abilities as expected. While there were no between-groups physiological differences, the methodology allowed for the novel discovery that cortisol was related to cognitive facets of self-control, while HRV was related to emotional functions associated with low self-control (i.e., worry and rumination). These results further highlight the importance of self-control in both our psychological and physiological functioning.</p>

Uncovering the Longitudinal and Physiological Associations between Self-Control, Delay of Gratification and Future Thinking

<p>High self-control, better delay of gratification, and future thinking have long been linked theoretically and, more recently, empirically, yet evidence of the causal relationships between them is non-existent. The present research aimed firstly to elucidate the nature of the relationships between self-control, delay of gratification and future thinking, and secondly to investigate whether they are rooted in our physiology. In Study 1, a sample of 174 undergraduates completed a self-report survey three times with 2-month intervals in between. Longitudinal mediation path models were constructed to determine whether and how self-control would function as a mediator between delay of gratification at Time 1 and consideration of future consequences at Time 3. Results showed that delay of gratification predicted higher self-control, which in turn predicted higher concern for future consequences (CFC-F) and a lower concern for immediate consequences (CFC-I). Study 2 further explored this relationship by investigating whether temporal orientation grouping – high- vs. low-CFC – would predict subsequent levels of self-control and delay of gratification in a study of 71 undergraduates. Heart rate variability and cortisol were also examined. Results showed that by grouping participants in terms of CFC it was possible to predict subsequent levels of self-control and gratification delay abilities as expected. While there were no between-groups physiological differences, the methodology allowed for the novel discovery that cortisol was related to cognitive facets of self-control, while HRV was related to emotional functions associated with low self-control (i.e., worry and rumination). These results further highlight the importance of self-control in both our psychological and physiological functioning.</p>

Controllability of Nonlinear Deterministic Chaotic Systems with Control-Induced Delay

This paper presents the analysis of a class of retarded nonlinear chaotic systems with control-induced delay. The existence and uniqueness of the mild solution are obtained by using the local Lipschitz condition on nonlinearity and Banach contraction principle. The approximate controllability for linear and nonlinear control delay systems has been established by sequence method and using the Nemytskii operator. The application of results is explained through an example of a parabolic partial differential equation.

Measuring Control Delays at Signalized Intersections in Mixed Traffic Conditions

Control delay is the key performance indicator of a signalized intersection that defines the level of service. Several models have been developed in previous research work for estimating control delays, but many of them were based on homogeneous traffic conditions. In the present study, an Open Street Map (OSM) tracker mobile application was used to measure control delays from the field. A non-linear model was developed in the present study for estimating control delays in mixed traffic conditions using a MATLAB fitting tool. The field delay is compared with the developed non-linear model delay along with the Indian Highway Capacity manual (INDO HCM) and Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) models. The control delay estimated using the model developed in the present study shows a close relation with the field delay obtained using an OSM tracker when compared to that obtained using the INDO HCM and HCM models. Therefore, the OSM tracker mobile application can be used as a field control delay measuring technique.