Self-Control Scale

Abstract

The Self-Control Scale (SCS) is a widely utilized psychological instrument designed to assess individual differences in the general capacity for self-control, often conceptualized as the ability to regulate one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to achieve desired outcomes or adhere to personal standards. Developed primarily by June P. Tangney and colleagues, the original scale features 36 items, though shorter versions, including the 13-item Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) and a 10-item version, are also commonly employed in research. High scores on the SCS are strongly associated with positive life outcomes, including better academic performance, superior interpersonal success, improved adjustment, and reduced levels of psychological pathology.

The scale measures various facets of self-regulation, encompassing the ability to resist immediate temptation, maintain focus on long-term goals, manage impulsive actions, and uphold self-discipline. It serves as a robust predictor across numerous domains of human functioning, making it a critical tool in personality and social psychology research.

Keywords

Self-control, self-regulation, self-discipline, impulsivity, psychological assessment, restraint, trait measure, long-term goals.

Authors

June P. Tangney, Roy F. Baumeister, Angie Luzio Boone, Patrick W. Maloney, Matthew J. Grawitch, Larissa K. Barber.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Self-Control Scale is to provide a comprehensive and reliable measure of trait-level self-control. Unlike state measures, the SCS aims to capture stable individual differences in the effectiveness of self-regulatory efforts across diverse life situations. The scale is designed to quantify an individual’s typical capacity for inhibiting unwanted impulses and initiating goal-directed behaviors.

The instrument enables researchers to examine the relationship between general self-control capacity and various outcomes, including health behaviors, academic achievement, consumer decisions, and social competence. Its various iterations allow for flexibility in research settings requiring either a thorough assessment or a brief, efficient measure.

Construct

The SCS measures the construct of self-control, which is defined as the limited capacity for conscious, effortful regulation of the self. This capacity allows individuals to override habitual responses, resist temptations, and manage internal states (such as emotions and desires) in alignment with higher-order goals or social norms. The construct is broad, encompassing elements of planning, inhibition, cognitive regulation, and emotional management.

Crucially, the scale aims to capture the effectiveness of self-regulation in daily life, ranging from mundane tasks (e.g., getting up on time) to significant behavioral challenges (e.g., resisting substance use or impulsive spending). The items reflect behavioral manifestations of both successful self-discipline and failures of self-regulation, such as impulsivity.

Validity

The SCS has demonstrated strong evidence of construct validity across numerous studies. High scores on the scale are consistently associated with favorable outcomes, confirming its predictive power. Specifically, research by Tangney, Baumeister, and Boone (2004) established that high self-control predicts better adjustment and success in multiple life domains.

The scale exhibits appropriate convergent validity, showing positive correlations with related personality traits such as Conscientiousness, while maintaining discriminant validity by demonstrating that it measures a unique construct distinct from general intelligence or specific emotional regulation deficits. Furthermore, the SCS possesses robust predictive validity, linking trait self-control capacity to objectively measured outcomes like higher GPAs and lower rates of delinquency and poor decision-making (Baumeister, 2002).

Reliability

The Self-Control Scale exhibits high internal consistency, particularly the full 36-item version. Studies typically report Cronbach’s alpha values in the high 0.80s and low 0.90s for the full scale, indicating excellent reliability. The shortened versions, such as the 13-item Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS), also demonstrate acceptable to good internal consistency (typically alphas ranging from 0.75 to 0.85).

Test-retest reliability has also been confirmed, suggesting that the scale measures a stable, trait-like characteristic of the individual. This stability is essential for a measure intended to capture fundamental differences in regulatory capacity over time.

Factor Analysis

The original 36-item Self-Control Scale was often conceptualized and scored as a unidimensional measure of global self-control capacity. However, subsequent factor analyses, particularly those focusing on the shorter versions like the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS), have suggested a potential multi-factor structure.

Maloney, Grawitch, and Barber (2012) investigated the factor structure of the BSCS and found evidence supporting a two-factor model distinguishing between Restraint (the ability to inhibit unwanted behaviors) and Impulsivity (the tendency toward immediate, unplanned action). This multi-factor structure highlights that self-control is not merely a single ability but a complex interplay of inhibitory and motivational processes.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Scale

Format: 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (not at all like me) to 5 (very much like me). Items marked with an asterisk (*) are typically reverse-scored.

Language Available: Primarily English, with validated translations available in numerous languages (e.g., German, Spanish, Chinese) due to its widespread use.

Population Group: General population, including clinical and non-clinical samples.

Age Group: Typically utilized with adolescents (high school age) and adults.

Population Details: The scale has been validated across diverse samples, including college students, community members, and various professional groups.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate the degree to which each statement describes them. Scores are calculated by summing the responses (after reversing negatively worded items) to obtain a total self-control score, with higher scores indicating greater self-control.

Keywords

Self-regulation capacity, cognitive inhibition, delay of gratification, personality trait, academic success, psychological adjustment, BSCS, Tangney.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Self-Control Scale is generally used freely for non-commercial academic research purposes, though researchers should always cite the original 2004 Tangney, Baumeister, & Boone article. The primary version (36-item) and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) were introduced and validated in the early 2000s, with the key validation paper published in 2004.

The original PDF of the scale and related documents can be found via the following links:

• The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://homepages.se.edu/cvonbergen/files/2013/01/Self-Control-Scale.pdf
• Another source for the instrument: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b96d/00945735a2ef9f77db9a7fe134a8f9710656.pdf
• A link to a brief version document: http://www.goodmedicine.org.uk/files/assessment‚%20self-control‚%20brief.doc

Reference’s

• Baumeister, Roy F. (2002). Yielding to Temptation: Self-Control Failure, Impulsive Purchasing, and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(4), 670-676.
• Tangney, June P., Baumeister, Roy F., & Boone, Angie Luzio. (2004). High Self-Control Predicts Good Adjustment, Less Pathology, Better Grades, and Interpersonal Success. Journal of Personality, 72(2), 271- 324.
• Maloney Patrick W., Grawitch, Matthew J., Barber, Larissa K. (2012). The multi-factor structure of the Brief Self-Control Scale: Discriminant validity of restraint and impulsivity. Journal of Personality, 46(1), 111-115.

Items of the Self-Control Scale

The scale utilizes a 5-point response format (1 not at all like me to 5 very much like me).

Full 36-Item Version:

1. I am good at resisting temptation.
2. I have a hard time breaking bad habits. *
3. I am lazy. *
4. I say inappropriate things. *
5. I never allow myself to lose control.
6. I do certain things that are bad for me‚ if they are fun. *
7. People can count on me to keep on schedule.
8. Getting up in the morning is hard for me. *
9. I have trouble saying no. *
10. I change my mind fairly often. *
11. I blurt out whatever is on my mind. *
12. People would describe me as impulsive. *
13. I refuse things that are bad for me.
14. I spend too much money. *
15. I keep everything neat.
16. I am self-indulgent at times. *
17. I wish I had more self-discipline. *
18. I am reliable.
19. I get carried away by my feelings. *
20. I do many things on the spur of the moment.*
21. I don’t keep secrets very well. *
22. People would say that I have iron self- discipline.
23. I have worked or studied all night at the last minute. *
24. I’m not easily discouraged.
25. I’d be better off if I stopped to think before acting. *
26. I engage in healthy practices.
27. I eat healthy foods.
28. Pleasure and fun sometimes keep me from getting work done. *
29. I have trouble concentrating. *
30. I am able to work effectively toward long-term goals.
31. Sometimes I can’t stop myself from doing something‚ even if I know it is wrong.*
32. I often act without thinking through all the alternatives. *
33. I lose my temper too easily. *
34. I often interrupt people. *
35. I sometimes drink or use drugs to excess. *
36. I am always on time.

* Reversed Items

10-Item Version:

1. I have a hard time breaking bad habits.*
2. I get distracted easily.*
3. I say inappropriate things.*
4. I refuse things that are bad for me‚ even if they are fun.
5. I’m good at resisting temptation.
6. People would say that I have very strong self-discipline.
7. Pleasure and fun sometimes keep me from getting work done.*
8. I do things that feel good in the moment but regret later on. *
9. Sometimes I can’t stop myself from doing something‚ even if I know it is wrong. *
10. I often act without thinking through all the alternatives. *

* Reversed Items

Items included in the Brief Self Control measure (13 items): 1-4, 6, 13, 17, 22, 28-32 from the full 36-item version.