Treat yourself: both positive and negative affect can provide justifications for self-regulatory indulgence

Abstract

Temptations are ubiquitous in daily life. In the present studies, we examined reflective justifications for indulging in these temptations. In Study 1, people reported deserving pleasurable activities (at the expense of goal pursuits) after imagining positive events for which they were responsible or negative events for which they were not responsible. In Study 2, participants reported more indulging and less goal progress when they considered negative events if they were given a chance to reflect on their lack of responsibility for those events. Combined, this evidence suggests people might frequently reflect on their experiences in ways that promote indulging.

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