<p>Along with many others, Google Scholar came up with the <a href="https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&amp;q=self%20control%20over%20physical%20health&amp;btnG=&amp;as_sdt=1%2C5&amp;as_sdtp=" rel="nofollow">following articles</a> for me</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/233/4770/1271" rel="nofollow">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a><br>talks about the relationship between health and a sense of control old age</li>
<li><a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/2693.short" rel="nofollow">National Academy of Sciences</a><br>Experimental and economic studies suggest large-scale programs aimed at self-control to improve citizens' health could reap benefits</li>
<li><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Karoly/publication/227920078_Self-Regulation_Assessment_and_Intervention_in_Physical_Health_and_Illness_A_Review/links/00b4951e6b33b5493a000000.pdf" rel="nofollow">International Association of Applied Psychology</a><br>
Self-Regulation Assessment and Intervention in Physical Health and Illness: A Review</li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=P3UoIuANmrIC&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA42&amp;dq=self%20control%20over%20physical%20health&amp;ots=AQKcGJf-k_&amp;sig=49nneaQvmwpBDp9kzA1ffmoDWRc" rel="nofollow">Book - The Self-regulation of Health and Illness Behaviour</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-29T15:47:50.957Z
2016-08-29T15:47:50.957Z
Chris Rogers
<p>As I said in the comments you're unlikely to find many, if any, papers on enhancing self-control. The two most prominent researchers, <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/indiv_pages/mischel/Walter_Mischel.html" rel="nofollow">Walter Mischel</a> and <a href="https://psy.fsu.edu/faculty/baumeister.dp.html" rel="nofollow">Roy Baumeister</a>, focus on whether self-control can be learned and self-control as a resource, respectively. </p>

<p>Some articles, like this <a href="https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower-self-control.pdf" rel="nofollow">one</a> from the APA or this <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;ion=1&amp;espv=2&amp;ie=UTF-8#q=kelly%20mcgonigal" rel="nofollow">blog post</a> based on work from Kelly Mcgonigal, will mention ways with which to help your self-control "cheat" temptation through little hints, life hacks, or roundabout ways like physical health and self-esteem. </p>

<p>Those articles also makes mention of the resource or "muscle" model of self-control. Which states that the more self-control you use the more fatigued it will become. <strong>And</strong>, like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it will be. The resource model has gone back and forth on being debunked, mainly around the need for glucose to "refuel". </p>

<p>But, that doesn't really get to the heart of your question. Mainly because boosting self-control, building healthy habits, and increasing willpower and diligence will come down largely to the individual and the task at hand. Something that makes generic research almost impossible.</p>

<p>What I'd suggest you do, if your goal is physical fitness, is to look up how to make a habit out of things like; going to the gym, eating healthier, or just being more active. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-30T00:37:41.527Z
2016-08-30T00:37:41.527Z
Reed Rawlings
<p>I am interested in learning more about self-control and how and if people have increased or enchanted it. I looked on Google scholar, but I don't think I am using the correct key words. Do you know of any papers that are on this topic?</p>

<p>EDIT:
Specifically about either increasing daily exercise or something tied to physical health.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-29T15:11:18.080Z
This seems a very broad topic.  Can you elaborate on what area of self-control you are trying to research?
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-29T22:27:17.460Z
Do you want to know how to increase your self-control in order to become "healthier" or are you looking for a way to build "good" habits around physical health? You won't find much if any real research about increasing self-control. But you'll find plenty on things that change/hinder self-control. I'll link some later.
Reed Rawlings
<self-control><self-discipline>
Paper (s) on enhancing self-control
user18101
# Paper (s) on enhancing self-control

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-08-29)

I am interested in learning more about self-control and how and if people have increased or enchanted it. I looked on Google scholar, but I don't think I am using the correct key words. Do you know of any papers that are on this topic?

EDIT:
Specifically about either increasing daily exercise or something tied to physical health.

**Tags:** self-control, self-discipline

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This seems a very broad topic.  Can you elaborate on what area of self-control you are trying to research?  
> **username_2**: Do you want to know how to increase your self-control in order to become "healthier" or are you looking for a way to build "good" habits around physical health? You won't find much if any real research about increasing self-control. But you'll find plenty on things that change/hinder self-control. I'll link some later.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-08-29. Score: 1

Along with many others, Google Scholar came up with the [following articles](https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&q=self%20control%20over%20physical%20health&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2C5&as_sdtp=) for me

* [American Association for the Advancement of Science](http://science.sciencemag.org/content/233/4770/1271)  
  talks about the relationship between health and a sense of control old age
* [National Academy of Sciences](http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/2693.short)  
  Experimental and economic studies suggest large-scale programs aimed at self-control to improve citizens' health could reap benefits
* [International Association of Applied Psychology](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Karoly/publication/227920078_Self-Regulation_Assessment_and_Intervention_in_Physical_Health_and_Illness_A_Review/links/00b4951e6b33b5493a000000.pdf)  
  Self-Regulation Assessment and Intervention in Physical Health and Illness: A Review
* [Book - The Self-regulation of Health and Illness Behaviour](https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=P3UoIuANmrIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA42&dq=self%20control%20over%20physical%20health&ots=AQKcGJf-k_&sig=49nneaQvmwpBDp9kzA1ffmoDWRc)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-08-30. Score: 0

As I said in the comments you're unlikely to find many, if any, papers on enhancing self-control. The two most prominent researchers, [Walter Mischel](http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/indiv_pages/mischel/Walter_Mischel.html) and [Roy Baumeister](https://psy.fsu.edu/faculty/baumeister.dp.html), focus on whether self-control can be learned and self-control as a resource, respectively.

Some articles, like this [one](https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower-self-control.pdf) from the APA or this [blog post](https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=kelly%20mcgonigal) based on work from Kelly Mcgonigal, will mention ways with which to help your self-control "cheat" temptation through little hints, life hacks, or roundabout ways like physical health and self-esteem.

Those articles also makes mention of the resource or "muscle" model of self-control. Which states that the more self-control you use the more fatigued it will become. **And**, like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it will be. The resource model has gone back and forth on being debunked, mainly around the need for glucose to "refuel".

But, that doesn't really get to the heart of your question. Mainly because boosting self-control, building healthy habits, and increasing willpower and diligence will come down largely to the individual and the task at hand. Something that makes generic research almost impossible.

What I'd suggest you do, if your goal is physical fitness, is to look up how to make a habit out of things like; going to the gym, eating healthier, or just being more active.


---

