Absence of Regulation, and Misregulation

Abstract

In the preceding chapter we focused on how self-attention promotes behavioral self-regulation. That is our primary interest: the processes by which behavior is guided effectively. But in emphasizing self-regulatory processes, we have run the risk of losing sight of the other side of the coin. More specifically, we have ignored the fact that sometimes people seem to stop regulating themselves, and sometimes they even seem to regulate in a maladaptive fashion—i.e., “misregulate.” This chapter is intended to balance the slate a bit, in that regard. In the following sections we discuss what might cause people to stop regulating or to misregulate, and describe the consequences of each of these phenomena.¹