Money & Happiness Quizzes | Personality Tests

The scale you completed was the Brief Self-Control Scale, developed by June P. Tangney, Roy F. Baumeister, and Angie Luzio Boone (2004).

The scale measures the degree of your self-control. A higher score on the scale suggests that you high self-control, and a low score suggest you have low self-control. Research says that self-control reflects these traits:

General capacity for self-discipline
Inclination toward deliberate or non-impulsive actions
Healthy habits
Good work ethic and reliability

The graph below shows your self-control with your score (in green) compared to those of of less happy people than average (in red) and more happy people (in blue)

As more people fill out this survey, we expect to see that people who are happier have better self-control.

Why is self-control good for well-being?
Research shows that people with higher self-control get better grades, have higher self-esteem, suffer from fewer mental health issuess, have better relationships and more secure attachments, and abuse alcohol less frequently than people with low self-control. High self-control protects people against behaviors that are bad for well-being and predicts good social and emotional adjustment, which contributes to people's happiness.

How can I imrpove my self-control?
Psychoologist Roy Baumeister compares the capacity for self-control to a muscle. People feel tired after exercising, but the exercise builds their physical strength over time. Likewise, after having to regulate their behavior and impulses, people's self-control capacity weakens. An examle of this process is over-eating after spending weeks on a diet. However, the more people engage in self-control, the easier it becomes over time. The answer: practice.

Also, your self-control may be related to how your pursue pleasure, what you value in life, and your personality traits. You might be interested in taking our Hedonism Scale, Schwartz Values Scale, or Big Five Personality Inventory.

Do you have ideas on improving this study? Or did you encounter any difficulties in answering the questions? Click here to send a message to the creators of this study.

Learn more about your happiness and spending habits!

Featured Studies