1: Why Is It So Hard to Do What We Should?

• Critical to understanding self-control: understanding why we often fail at it. First, Professor DeWall explains one of the most influential models about how self-control works, and the two classic experiments that tested this model. Then, learn why depleted energy causes us to show poor self-control and how our individual characteristics shape this energy....

2: Self-Control Successes and Failures

• What are the secrets behind mastering self-control in your life? Why are specific individuals, from politicians to civil rights leaders, widely considered heroes of self-control? Why does it help to think of self-control as working like an internal thermostat? You'll find answers to these provocative questions and more here....

3: Marshmallows, Monkeys, and Mortality

• In this lecture, go inside the famous "marshmallow experiment" at Stanford University and its revelations about delayed gratification; learn how delaying gratification is important even for primates and dogs; and probe general differences in self-control and its effects on everything from mental health to wealth accumulation to an early death....

4: Taming the Impulsive Beast

• Many critics and pundits argue that we live in the most peaceful time in history. So why is aggression still so prevalent around the world? Encounter several core components of self-control, two of which explain why most people commonly refrain from aggressive behavior and one of which explains why aggression still exists....

5: First Impressions and Stereotypes

• Why do we tend to mimic one another during our social interactions? Why do we feel that we "gel" with certain people and seek out stronger relationships with those individuals? Why do interactions with different people deplete us of our self-control energy? Join Professor DeWall for an illuminating investigation of these and other questions....

6: Romance, Finance, and Your Environment

• Learn how to apply your newfound knowledge of self-control to your romantic relationships, your financial decisions, and your surroundings. As you cover topics including recent studies on happiness and self-control in relationships and the importance of playing offense against your environment, you'll gain invaluable skills that will promote stronger self-awareness....