Research Hit: Conscientiousness not Willpower Predicts Success
A new review shows that will power is overrated in life success - conscientiousness is a much better predictor
Surely willpower is important if you have a strong force of will you can achieve anything?!
Yes, that is the assumption and something that many a motivational speaker has encouraged. Not to mention that earlier work - the famed marshmallow test - found that willpower, the ability, in the case of the marshmallow test, to resist temptation was strongly associated with later success in life.
So this is fundamentally wrong?
Well, according to Michael Inzlicht and Brent Roberts of University of Illinois in a recently published review.
That feels counter-intuitive!
Yes, it does but this is partly because there is so much “marketing” that promotes self control. We are talking about two different things: the trait a person’s natural abilities, and state the current ability. Normally willpower is a state but even as a trait it shows weak correlation to classic measures of success - positive life outcomes.
The authors note that
Evidence shows that individuals high in trait self-control do not engage in more state self-control but engage it less!
Changes to state self-control do not reliably and sustainably improve people's outcomes, as least in the long-term
Despite the possibility of dramatic improvements in trait self-control, these improvements are often short lived, with people returning to their baseline trait level over longer time horizons
So willpower is short lived and our traits are a better predictor
Yes, obviously willpower can be great in the short term - this is not to say we shouldn’t exert willpower - but we tend to revert to baseline levels. And therefore conscientiousness is a much better predictor.
So focus on conscientiousness but what else can we do?
Well, it suggests as many people have noted previously that other interventions are more important - e.g. environmental change is better than willpower. So designing your environment so that you are not distracted, for example, is more effective than relying on willpower.
Can we improve conscientiousness
Every trait can be changed to a degree - it is also true that sometimes we have context dependent personalities e.g. we are more conscientious at work than in private life.
Well, I need to work on my conscientiousness then
Me too!
Reference
Michael Inzlicht, Brent W. Roberts.
The fable of state self-control.
Current Opinion in Psychology, 2024; 58: 101848
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2024.101848