A1 Journal article (refereed)
Evidence inhibitory self‐control moderates effects of habit on complex but not simple health behaviors (2025)

Phipps, D. J., Hagger, M. S., & Hamilton, K. (2025). Evidence inhibitory self‐control moderates effects of habit on complex but not simple health behaviors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 17(1), Article e12642. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12642

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Phipps, Daniel J.; Hagger, Martin S.; Hamilton, Kyra

Journal or series: Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being

ISSN: 1758-0846

eISSN: 1758-0854

Publication year: 2025

Publication date: 22/12/2024

Volume: 17

Issue number: 1

Article number: e12642

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12642

Research data link: https://osf.io/v79bf/

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/99241

Abstract

Theoretically, self-control can be considered as both a facilitator of habit development and a moderator of whether behavior occurs habitually. However, debate remains on the contexts in which such relationships are likely to occur. The current study tested whether self-control, conceptualized into inhibitory and initiatory facets, would predict healthy behavior via habits or moderate the habit-behavior relationship, and whether these effects differed across complex (bootcamp attendance N = 69, physical activity in pregnant women N = 115) and simple (flossing N = 254) behaviors. Three independent samples completed measures of self-control and habit, followed by a prospective measure of behavior. Data were fitted to PLS-SEM models. Inhibitory and initiatory self-control predicted habit in all three samples, and habit in turn predicted each health behavior. Inhibitory self-control only moderated the effect of habit in the bootcamp and physical activity samples. Initiatory self-control did not moderate effects in any sample. Findings indicate that both initiatory and inhibitory self-control are associated with habit. Further, as the moderating effect of inhibitory self-control was only present in the complex behavior samples, results suggest the moderating effects of self-control on the habit-behavior relationship may be best represented by the effect of inhibiting competing cues from disrupting automatically activated behavioral sequences.

Keywords: self-control; self-regulation (psychology); inhibitions; well-being; manners and means; health behaviour

Free keywords: behavioral automaticity; habit; health behavior; self-control

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2025

Preliminary JUFO rating: 1