You are the company you keep -- and that applies to behaviors like self control, too, according to a new study.


Researchers found that people who struggle with temptation could improve their self-control by surrounding themselves with strong-willed people.


"What we have shown is that low self-control individuals seem to implicitly surround themselves with individuals who can help them overcome temptation -- you get by with a little help from your friends," study researcher Catherine Shea, a psychological scientist at Duke University, said in a statement.


The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, included several experiments. In one of them, study participants watched a video that had words that came up on the screen. Some of the study participants were instructed not to read those words, while the other group wasn't told anything about reading the words. Then, researchers had all the study participants read descriptions of three kinds of office managers. The descriptions included a manager who had low self-control, a manager who had high self-control, and a manager with demonstrations of both high and low self-control.


Researchers found that those who were asked not to read the words on the screen in the first part of the task (which researchers said had a self-control-depleting effect on them) were also the ones who thought higher of the manager described as having lots of self-control. And in another experiment, researchers found that people who scored low on a self-control test also thought higher of the manager described as having lots of self-control.


In the last experiment in the study, which involved 136 couples who were romantically involved, researchers found that people who self-reported having low self-control were more likely to say they depended on their partner with high self-control.


Another thing that could possibly help boost our self control? Looking at the big picture, instead of the little things we need to do along the way, according to a past study in Current Directions in Psychological Science. This is especially useful for goals like weight loss, where picturing the end result could help you stick to your goals better than focusing on all the work you need to put in to drop the pounds.


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  • Friends Get You Moving


    Research presented in 2012 found that something you might expect more from your mother -- nagging -- can actually work when it's coming from a pal who's pushing you to move more.

    In fact, the least active interviewees in this particular survey said they <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120418134852.htm" target="_hplink">needed and even <em>appreciated</em> a nudge</a> now and then from friends.

    And working out with a friend has the added benefit of keeping you committed to your workout plan. There's no rolling over to hit the snooze button on that a.m. run if someone is waiting for you to show up!

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/geishaboy500/272639168/" target="_hplink">geishaboy500</a></em>




  • Friends Keep You Relaxed


    There's some truth behind friendship clichés like "a shoulder to cry on." In the face of great stress, talking with and leaning on friends really can help you get through troublesome times.

    A 2011 study found that among students, <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026091229.htm" target="_hplink">friendships helped reduce some of the stress of being bullied</a> or excluded at school.

    Women in particular may be predisposed to the calming benefits of friendship. Researchers found that <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Fight-stress-with-friends-2858415.php" target="_hplink">females release the hormone oxytocin when stressed</a>, which encourages "tend and befriend" behavior, rather than the "fight or flight" reaction often observed in men, the <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em> reported. This encourages women to chat with their friends when stressed, and the chatting itself spurs the release of <em>more</em> oxytocin, which can have a calming effect.

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4933098878/" target="_hplink">epSos.de</a></em>




  • Friends Help You Live Longer


    It's not quite as simple as connecting with friends and, poof, you're guaranteed to live to 100. But there <em>is</em> a significant body of research linking strong social ties to a longer lifespan.

    Australian research found that <a href="http://jech.bmj.com/content/59/7/574.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=friends&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=date&resourcetype=HWCIT" target="_hplink">older adults with more friends were 22 percent less likely to die</a> during a 10-year study than their peers with fewer friends.

    And in a recent analysis of 148 studies, researchers found that people with stronger relationships had a <a href="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316" target="_hplink">50 percent greater chance of survival</a>.

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gribanov/" target="_hplink">egor.gribanov</a></em>




  • Friends Boost Cancer Survival Rates


    While friendships may help you live longer in any situation, social ties have also been linked specifically to overcoming cancer.

    A small 2005 study observed 61 women with advanced ovarian cancer. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.21147/abstract" target="_hplink">Higher levels of interleukin 6</a>, a protein marker for a more aggressive form of the disease, were found in the women with the weakest social bonds.

    An older study followed 86 women with metastatic breast cancer for a year and found that the women who participated in a weekly support group <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2571815" target="_hplink">lived twice as long</a>.




  • Friends Lower Heart Disease Risk


    Perhaps because of their relaxation powers, friends are also good for the heart. A 2005 analysis of social support theories found that weak social ties could <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16314591" target="_hplink"><em>double</em> heart disease risk</a>.

    The link between social support and a healthy heart is even stronger for men who make one very special social tie official. <a href="http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20041108/social-ties-guard-against-heart-disease" target="_hplink">Married men</a> seem to experience a particular boost in heart health, WebMD reported.

    Stronger social ties in general seem to lower blood pressure, which helps the heart.

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentgambrell/4415887276/" target="_hplink">Brent Gambrell</a></em>