The words you use in resisting temptation can literally be the difference between success and failure.
So there it sits… awaiting your decision.
One fork and twelve inches of space are all that separate you from that decadent chocolate dessert on the table. If you didn’t know any better, you’d swear that tasty treat just called out your name. Nervously you look away, fighting the urge. But it doesn’t help, not in the least. Your mouth begins to water as the aroma of rich dark-chocolate fills the air. You impulsively reach for the fork… but stop yourself instantly, as reason regains its ground. Anguished, you plead with yourself, ”I know, I know! But that dessert looks unbelievably delicious. But I shouldn’t do it. But I love chocolate so much! But it’s literally exploding with calories! I cannot give in! I CAN’T!!!”
So what do you do?
Are you able to resist the temptation?
When we are tempted, would you believe the actual words you use in trying to resist the temptation can literally make the difference between success and failure? Can something as simple as a slight change in your language really make that much of a difference? Well, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, individuals who respond to temptation with the words “I Don’t” (versus “I can’t”) are more able to resist.
“Whether it’s buffalo wings at a tailgate or heaping plates of calories at the Thanksgiving Day dinner table that is your downfall, help is merely a couple of words away,” write researchers Vanessa M. Patrick (University of Houston) and Henrik Hagtvedt (Boston College).
What’s In A Word?
The researchers examined the difference between framing a refusal with the words “I Don’t” vs. “I Can’t.” “This insight is based on the notion that saying ‘I Can’t’ to temptation inherently signals deprivation and the loss from giving up something desirable,” the authors write. “For instance, when faced with a tempting slice of pumpkin pie, one’s spontaneous response, ‘I Can’t eat pumpkin pie’ signals deprivation. Saying ‘I Don’t eat pumpkin pie’ is more effective.” This approach signals to oneself (and others) a sense of determination and empowerment, which makes the refusal strategy more effective.
In one study, the authors studied 30 women for 10 days. The women were divided up into three different refusal strategies. One group was assigned the “Don’t” strategy, another was given the “Can’t” strategy, and a third group was given a generic “just-say-no” strategy. A daily email reminded the participants to use the strategies and to report instances when they worked and when they didn’t.
The “I Don’t” strategy increased participants’ feelings of autonomy, control, and self-awareness; and it resulted in positive behavioral change. One participant reported “a renewed dedication to shedding those extra pounds….I bought a used folding bicycle this weekend that I can keep in my office and use to ride across campus.” Saying “I Don’t” also led to increased longevity; participants reported using it long after the study was completed.
“What’s great about this research is that it suggests a strategy that is simple, straightforward, and easy to implement. And most importantly…it works!” the authors conclude.
So the next time you are tempted by that wonderfully-rich, impossibly-decadent, dark-chocolate dessert…don’t sweat it! You now have a very quick and easy way to help fight off the temptation.
Just remember: “Don’t“ do it!!!
March 19, 2012
The Healthy Mind Network
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The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by the University of Chicago Press Journals and EurekAlerts.
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