Attention and Voluntary Self-Control

Voluntary self control can be viewed in terms of a set of executive attentional processes that allow the individual to regulate more reactive processes. Evidence is presented suggesting that individuals differ in their capacity for voluntary attentional control, with such differences apparent in the regulation of perceptual, conceptual, and response processing. These findings suggest that vulnerability depends on the reactivity of cognitive and motivational processes (such as those related to anxiety and impulsivity), along with the person's capacity to voluntarily regulate them. Such an approach has important implications for understanding maladaptive cognition and provides new perspectives on prevention and treatment.