Scientific Secrets for Self-Control

By: C. Nathan DeWall, The Great Courses

Narrated by: C. Nathan DeWall

Length: 3 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Join an expert in self-control research for six engaging and inspirational lessons that shatter the myths about willpower and replace them with verifiable science that can make the seemingly unattainable finally possible. Packed with eye-opening studies, experiments, and exercises to strengthen your self-control when dealing with money, fitness, personal relationships, and more, this course will have you wondering why you ever doubted yourself.

Whether you're looking for new ways to resist temptation, make a strong first impression, or better control your emotions, this is your guide to understanding—and mastering—what is a frequently misunderstood subject. In clear language, your award-winning professor introduces you to the general theories behind self-control: what it is, how it works, and how you can take steps to improve it.

Among the topics you'll investigate:

• How researchers discovered that delayed gratification can lead to better individual well-being in everything from higher self-worth to less sensitivity to rejection
• One of the most influential theories about how self-control works - the limited resource model, which argues that self-control relies on limited energy that becomes depleted after use
• How scientists discovered the link between the prefrontal cortex and aggression, and how people at risk for violent anger show abnormalities in that region of the brain.

Alongside groundbreaking scientific findings and research, you'll get personal exercises, activities, and thought experiments you can use to practice strengthening your self-control skills to meet whatever specific goals you want to achieve.

Disclaimer: Please note that this recording may include references to supplemental texts or print references that are not essential to the program and not supplied with your purchase.

©2013 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2013 The Great Courses

Very good crash course in self control

I enjoyed the stores and I'm sure you will too.

Good reminder too! I wish it was twice as long perhaps!

Very good and provided good exercises.

This was an informative training about the basics of self-control. It detailed how to build self control and be mindful of triggers.

Disappointing

I should have read the reviews first because I agree. Little new information here. Basically, we all only have so much self control and when we use it up, we have less. Duh. This does not measure up to the normally excellent Great Courses.

Good Lecture

This is a series of lectures about will power & self control. first hand experience

Interesting, not too long

What did you like best about this story?

This was informational. Often times, an author will make something informational longer than it needs to be, but this seemed just right to get a good (beginner) understanding without dragging. It was an excellent recap of relevant experiments and scenarios.

Okay for a lecture series

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If they can get it cheap like I did, sure. Otherwise, probably not.

Would you recommend Scientific Secrets for Self-Control to your friends? Why or why not?

Probably not. It's more of a lecture series on a topic you would want to listen to / desire to listen to.

What aspect of Professor C. Nathan DeWall’s performance would you have changed?

Nothing. He presented the material well and in a clean spoken manner.

Do you think Scientific Secrets for Self-Control needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. He covered the topic enough for me.

Any additional comments?

Nope. I am exercising my self control.

Could have been a short YouTube video

Good reference to studies.
Good reading. Unfortunately there’s not much material there in the field apparently. So 3-4 take home points. Maybe the course could be a sub-part of some bigger topic.

Useful

Good recommendations, solid overview. Perfomance is engaging. This course leaves you with clear understanding and directions on how to increase your self control.

Self-Control, Energy and Flexing your Muscles

So this course is three hours, and can be picked up fairly inexpensively from time to time. It explains self-control, how it works, how important it is, and what a person might do to increase his own self-control, often the same thing as restraint, but not always.
I thought Prof. DeWall did a good job on this series. It isn’t long and doesn’t go into the scientific studies in much detail because he is more interested in applying them. Some of the material may be review for many, though perhaps not everyone is familiar with the marshmallow experiment. Many of the previous reviewers seem to expect everyone has been exposed to this material already. It just isn’t true, and I applaud DeWall for not making that assumption in his lectures.
DeWall recommends many practical exercises for increasing your self-control, and learning to minimize the effects of fatigue. Things as simple as contemplating those things in your day that are going to require you to exercise self-control and planning to do those things when you have the energy to do them. Practicing different techniques for expanding your self-control, such as going a week using your non-dominant hand. Some of the stuff may sound like common sense, but then sometimes that needs to be voiced too. I also think it has allowed me to understand and perhaps even empathize with more people who make “poor life decisions” as they say. I certainly did not feel as if this course was a waste of time.

Insightful and informative

Helpful in understanding will power . Would recommend it to anyone who has trouble studying and working on projects