Trait self-control and self-discipline : Structure, validity, and invariance across national groups

Abstract
The aim of the present study was to test the validity of the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS; Tangney, Baumeister and Boone 2004) including its dimensional structure based on competing one- and two-factor models, discriminant validity from the conceptually-related self-discipline construct, invariance across multiple samples from different national groups, and predictive validity with respect to health-related behaviors. Samples of undergraduate students (total N = 1282) from four national groups completed the brief self-control scale, the self-discipline scale from the NEO-PI-R, and self-report measures of binge drinking, exercise, and healthy eating. Confirmatory factor analytic models supported a two-factor structure of self-control encompassing restraint and non-impulsivity components. The model exhibited good fit in all samples and invariance of factor loadings in multi-sample analysis. The restraint and non-impulsivity components exhibited discriminant validity and were also distinct from self-discipline. Structural equation models revealed that non-impulsivity predicted binge drinking in three of the samples, and restraint predicted exercise in two samples, with no role for self-discipline. Results point to a multi-dimensional structure for trait self-control consistent with previous theory separating impulsive- and control-related components.
Main Authors
Format
Articles Research article
Published
2021
Series
Subjects
Publication in research information system
Publisher
Transaction Periodicals Consortium, Rutgers University
The permanent address of the publication
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202102251772Use this for linking
Review status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1046-1310
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-0021-6
Language
English
Published in
Current Psychology
Citation
  • Hagger, M., Zhang, C.-Q., Kangro, E.-M., Ries, F., Wang, J. C. K., Heritage, B., & Chan, D. K. C. (2021). Trait self-control and self-discipline : Structure, validity, and invariance across national groups. Current Psychology, 40(3), 1015-1030. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-0021-6
License
In CopyrightOpen Access
Additional information about funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Copyright© 2018, Springer Science Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

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