A hot/cool-system analysis of delay of gratification: Dynamics of willpower.

TLDR

It is the seat of self‑regulation and self‑control. The study proposes a two‑system framework to explain how self‑control is enabled or undermined in delay‑of‑gratification tasks. The framework posits a cool, cognitive “know” system that is contemplative, flexible, slow, and strategic, and a hot, emotional “go” system that is impulsive, reflexive, and driven by innate releasing stimuli, with their balance modulated by stress, developmental level, and self‑regulatory dynamics. The model explains findings on willpower accumulated over three decades of research.

Abstract

A 2-system framework is proposed for understanding the processes that enable--and undermine--self-control or "willpower" as exemplified in the delay of gratification paradigm. A cool, cognitive "know" system and a hot, emotional "go" system are postulated. The cool system is cognitive, emotionally neutral, contemplative, flexible, integrated, coherent, spatiotemporal, slow, episodic, and strategic. It is the seat of self-regulation and self-control. The hot system is the basis of emotionality, fears as well as passions--impulsive and reflexive--initially controlled by innate releasing stimuli (and, thus, literally under "stimulus control"): it is fundamental for emotional (classical) conditioning and undermines efforts at self-control. The balance between the hot and cool systems is determined by stress, developmental level, and the individual's self-regulatory dynamics. The interactions between these systems allow explanation of findings on willpower from 3 decades of research.