Do you prefer a slice of cake or an apple? Though
many appreciate apples it is certain that the cake is always a temptation
for everyone. In fact, sometimes the temptation is so strong that we end up with
eat as much apple as pie. Anyone who has dedicated themselves to following one
diet he knows very well what I mean and for sure besides the power supply, all
days occur to us a number of temptations.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to exercise control over
our desires without experiencing this feeling of conflict? According to some specialists, when
we spend all day exercising self-control, we show a trend
even stronger to fall into temptation. However, it is well known that
self-control can increase if we think abstractly about our goals.
As if to say, if we try to understand our actions as small pieces of
a much larger project without, focusing too much on the details. In this
way, we could avoid the pain of having to resist the slice of the pie. But…what it means to think about goals in a way
abstract? Some researchers from the University of Ohio, there
they offer some ideas starting from an experiment in which they wondered if the
our unconscious could give us a hand in this task. These researchers
they used an implicit association test to evaluate thoughts
unconscious of people when they were faced with the task of
choose between a dessert or an apple. The trick was
in the fact that the participants were forced, before choosing, to think in
abstract or concrete way. One group of these was asked to reflect
about why we need to maintain good relationships with people
(abstract level), while the other group was asked to think about what
they could do to maintain good interpersonal relationships (concrete level). It is fair to clarify that, according to the researchers, not
what matters is the abstract content upon which thought is concentrated, from the moment
that once we find ourselves immersed in this type of reasoning, albeit
change the stimulus in front of us, our way of thinking will show the
tendency to follow abstract reasoning. Thus, by analyzing the implicit association tests it
it could be found that when people thought concretely they perceived
even dessert as a more positive and palatable option, while than when
abstract thinking predominated, just the opposite happened. Finally, each participant was offered the opportunity to
eat a dessert or fruit. As you can imagine, the people who came
induced to think concretely they chose the fruit in 50% of cases, while
that as many as 76% of the people who were induced to abstract thinking chose
they too are a fruit. Not bad for such simple manipulation! Researchers speculate that when we think so
abstract our unconscious from a negative value to temptations.
I personally believe that concrete thinking allows us to focus on
details like the texture, the taste of the food, the scent… and this
increases temptation. Conversely, when we think abstractly about it
we focus on other aspects such as damage to health or our goals a
long term (such as losing weight), and this causes temptation
is less palatable. However, for one reason or another, it sure is
that thinking abstractly could help many people develop a
certain degree of self-control in the face of many situations.
