The Science of Self Control and How We Can Use It To Our Advantage

February 6, 2013
The Yale Club of New York City

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One of the challenges of human life is that what is good for us right now is often not what is good for us in the long term: Dieting for example is not so much fun now, but good for the future; saving is not fun now but good for the future; medical testing, procrastination etc. When we face such tradeoffs, we often focus on the short term rather than our long-term goals and in the process get ourselves into trouble. But wait! There is hope. By understanding where we fall short, there are methods we can use to overcome our natural (and less than desirable) inclinations.

In a highly interactive presentation, Dr. Dan Ariely discussed viable methods of self-control including reward-substitution, loss aversion, and the Ulysses contract while explaining the reasoning behind our behavior when it comes to short term and long term goals. Audience members were encouraged to share how they could integrate self-control techniques into their own lives and learned how research in the field can be applied to wide-scale problems such as global warming and obesity. 

The event, sponsored by Worth Publishers, drew in over one hundred and thirty people including students, teachers, financial planners, and government employees. 


Dan Ariely 90x126.jpgDan Ariely, PhD (Duke University)
James B. Duke Professor of Psychology & Behavioral Economics
New York Times Bestseller 




Self_Control_Invitation Photo .jpgInvitation Flyer

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