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The Science of Willpower

Kelly McGonigal, PhD Stanford University

kellymcgonigal.com/faces

What do mindfulness and compassion have to do with

willpower?

Today’s Agenda

1.  What is willpower?

2.  Mindfulness & willpower

3.  Compassion & willpower

What has challenged your willpower today?

?

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A competition between selves

(Rangel 2009)

“I Won’t” Power “I Will” Power

“I Want” Power

What is willpower? “I won’t” power “I will” power

“I want” power

Willpower is the ability to choose what matters most, even when it’s difficult – or some part of you wants to choose differently.

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Two instincts that compete

The Pause and Plan Response

•  Starts with the perception of internal conflict, not external threat

•  Mobilization of energy to the brain, especially PFC

•  Slows you down: decreased heart rate, blood pressure; slower breathing

•  Balanced autonomic nervous system; increased heart rate variability

•  To increase self-reflection and prevent automatic action

Physiology of Willpower

Activation of vagus nerve balances focus with calm; allows you to pause, plan, remember big picture.

VAGUS NERVE

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Breathing/Heart Rate Synchronization & HRV

Desynchronized (stress) Synchronized (calm/focused)

(Segerstrom & Solberg Nes 2007)

(Geisler & Kubiak 2009)

(Daly, Delaney, & Harmon 2008) (Erblich, Bovbjerg.

& Sloan 2011)

(Ingjaldsson, Laberg, & Thayer 2003)

HRV Biofeedback

•  High food cravers randomized to HRV biofeedback or control group.

•  For biofeedback, decrease in food cravings related to a lack of control, preoccupation with food, and guilt.

(Meule et al. 2012)

Do it yourself biofeedback: Slow the breath

(Song & Lehrer 2003)

The Pause and Plan Response

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Fight-or-Flight VS Pause-and Plan

The physiology of stress is incompatible with self-control.

Physiology of willpower = Social engagement system

Feeling connected to, cared for, and caring toward.

VAGUS NERVE

Physiology of Compassion

(Oveis, Horberg, & Keltner, 2009)

•  Participants who viewed compassion-inducing photos show higher levels of vagal tone.

•  Higher vagal tone while viewing photos (controlling for baseline) positively related to self-reports of felt compassion.

Choosing a compassionate POV

•  71 adults (38 female) asked to think about a time they were hurt/rejected/wronged.

•  Typically decreases vagal tone/HRV.

•  Some instructed to take a compassionate POV, e.g. recognizing common humanity of offender.

•  Led to greater empathy, forgiveness, benefit-finding, gratitude, and vagal tone/HRV.

(vanOyen Witvliet et al. 2010)

The “muscle model” of willpower

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Roy Baumeister

The Muscle Model of Self-Control

•  All acts of self-control -- “I will” and “I won’t” -- draw on one resource.

•  This resource is limited and can be exhausted through use.

•  Like a muscle, this strength can be trained.

•  Over 100 published experiments.

Two Ways to Train:

1.  Mindful commitments (specific to goal/challenge)

2.  Brain training (general)

Workout Your Willpower with a Mindful Commitment

Exercise your self-control muscle by choosing one thing to do (I will power) or not do/delay (I won’t power) each day, that relates to your greatest goal/ challenge (I want power). ?

Brain Training: Breath Focus

1.  Establish comfortable, alert posture, eyes open or closed.

2.  Acknowledge intention of practice: to train focus by noticing mind-wandering.

3.  Bring focus to the breath (counting breath cycles, or focusing on sensations of breathing); when mind wanders, come back to breath.

4.  Start with 5 minutes, work toward 15.

5.  Acknowledge success of practice no matter how much your mind wandered!

(Hasenkamp & Barsalou 2012)

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Increased brain volume & connectedness of frontal regions

(Luders et al. 2009, 2011, 2012)

•  47 smokers who wanted to quit

•  Learned basic principles of mindful attention.

Can mindfulness strengthen self-control?

(Westbrook et al. 2011)

Results

•  Mindfulness reduced cravings & distress.

•  Reduced activity in craving-related areas of the brain.

•  Disrupted functional connectivity of the brain’s "craving network.”

(Westbrook et al. 2011)

What is mindfulness?

•  Intention •  Attention to present moment •  Attitude of attention

(Shapiro et al. 2008)

The “what-the-hell” effect

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(Heatherton & Wagner 2011)

This is your brain on shame:

(Heatherton & Wagner 2011)

The Doughnut Study

•  Wom

(Adams & Leary 2007)

Women who received “self-compassion” message ate 28 grams of candy (vs. 70 grams).

A Self-Compassionate POV:

1.  Mindfulness of stress/suffering. (What are you feeling?)

2.  Common humanity. (How is this stress/setback universal?)

3.  Self-mentoring. (What would you say to someone you care about?)

Self-Compassion Increases Self-Improvement Motivation (4 Studies)

1.  Writing about a personal weakness from a self-compassionate (vs self-esteem boosting) POV increased a “growth” (vs fixed) mindset about weakness.

2.  Writing about an action participants felt guilty about from a self-compassionate (vs self-esteem boosting) POV led to greater motivation to make amends.

3.  A brief self-compassion message following an induced failure experience increased effort/time to improve on test.

4.  Writing about a personal weakness from a self-compassionate (vs self-esteem boosting) POV increased desire to interact with someone who has overcome a similar weakness.

(Brienes & Chen 2012)

Compassion for your future self

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(Ersner-Hershfield et al 2010) (Grogan et al. 2011)

Connect to your future self

•  Letter of gratitude to present self from future self.

•  Letter of encouragement/wisdom to present self from future self.

•  Letter of commitment to future self.

What do mindfulness and compassion have to do with

willpower?

Thank you!

•  kellymcgonigal.com/faces

•  @kellymcgonigal •  kmcg@stanford.edu •  www.facebook.com/

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