Willpower Research Paper

In this paper I will present an argument against free will and then I will defend a response to that argument. Free will is defined as having the ability to make our own choices. Some will argue that all of our decisions have already been dictated by our desires therefore we never actually truly make our own choices. The purpose of this paper is to defend the argument that we have free will by attacking the premise that states we have no control over what we desire. I will defeat this premise by showing how one does have control over his/her desires through the idea of self-control. I will then defend my argument against likely rebuttals that state that there is still no way to control our desires proving that we do have free will.

Willpower is the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action. The willpower circuit shows the vast majority of four-year olds struggling to resist the allure of the marshmallow. To extend their limited self-control, the little kids spontaneously invented a variety of mental strategies (Source 1). Walter Mischel’s experiment first conducted in 1968, the experiment went like this: Mischel invited a four-year old student at the Bing Nursery School into a small room, barely bigger than a closet. He then made her an offer, She could either eat one marshmallow right away or, if she was willing to wait fifteen minutes while he ran an errand, she could eat two marshmallows. Needless to say, most kids decided to wait (Source 1). Walter Mischel’s whole point of this experiment was to test out

Etta Shattuck took cover in a haystack and prayed that God was coming to save her is a final example of willpower. Etta was a very religious nineteen years old teacher who taught in Holt County. Hours before the storm hit, she went out that morning to get her orders signed so she could get her twenty-five dollars. Soon the storm came like a desease and she was lost and confused as she struggled to find her way back home. She walked for miles and miles as the chill wind slowly wore she out. Since she was a very religious woman, all she did was prayed and asked god to save her. Sooner or later, God led her into a pile of haystack. She used the last ounce of strength she had and managed to dig a shallow hole for herself. “By the time she reached

The one area in my life right now that I use a lot of willpower is my lifestyle. I recently had gotten of track with my weight and eating habits. I’m trying to get back on track but it has been a challenge. I have to have the power to not eat the snacks and try to eat healthier snacks. I give the attention to the things that matter the most to me.

The theories relating to the motivational methods and techniques I have chosen to reinforce the information are the two-factor and expectancy theory. The two-factor theory was developed by Frederick Herzberg’s and falls under two categories the satisfier and hygiene factors. The two are linked and are identified as being turned

In order to ever accomplish something if it is going up the stairs, or getting to college they all have one thing in common. What is it? Motivation. Without it you couldn't do anything you wouldn't have the will to accomplish anything no matter how small. everyone has some kind of motivation in them if it is their parents, wanting more in life or just pure determination.

Wood, M.D, et. al (2007). Brief motivational intervention and alcohol expectancy challenge with heavy drinking in college students: A randomized factorial study. Addictive Behaviors, 32(11), 2509-2528. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.06.018

When Will first began his journey he encountered two thieves that threatened to kill him and his friends. And even in the face of multiple people intending to do harm he remained calm and handled the situation calmly and skillfully. Even though will is well trained, he is not invincible. This was shown to him when during an attack he was knocked out and taken hostage. Even when injured and vulnerable he kept his cool and was able to calm down the other prisoners and stand up for them against the kidnappers, eventually gaining them freedom. This showed that you don't have to be in a good position to show bravery, and that bravery can be shown in even the most dark

It is the strength of will to carry out one’s decisions. For example, let’s say that you are at work, and you are extremely tired, and want to go home, but you don't. That's willpower, determination. You could easily walk out, drive home and quit your job but you didn’t because you told yourself no. How does willpower affect your life?

is the good will. A good will is good in itself, not just for what it

Motivation and emotion are closely linked concepts that affect behaviour. Motives affect emotion and emotion has related motivational properties. Motivation is defined as a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a certain manner as it gives directions to our emotions, feelings and actions. Similar to motivation, emotions also activate and affect behaviourisms but emotion is rather a more subjective, complex experience resulting in behavioural changes. (Quizlet.com, 2016) (Alleydog.com, 2016) (En.m.wikiversity.org, 2016)

Another would be reliable, delivering the art supplies as promised.” they concluded that 1 of the 14 children from the unreliable group held out the entire 15 minutes, while more than half of the children that encountered the reliable adult lasted the entire 15 minutes. All in all, they proved that willpower is not something that you have a distinct amount of, it can be influenced by you past encounters, and experiences. They proved that willpower is something that can change over time, it can grow, and it can die.

Hope also helps with willpower for hope will always remain. In one episode of, “Green Lantern: The Animated Series, title episode, ‘Blue Hope’”, Hal Jordan and his team landed on the planet Odym where a former member of the Guardians, Ganthet stays and formed the Blue Lantern Corp. In one scene Hal and his team met with Ganthet who formed the Blue Lantern Corp because he was removed from being one of the members of the Guardians. Ganthet formed the Blue Lantern Corp to help protect the universe. The Blue Lantern uses the power of hope, while the Green Lantern use the power of will.

In our daily lives we encounter temptations and regardless of resisting or falling for them is due to the amount of willpower you posses. In the book The willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, demonstrates how stress can affect our daily lives by causing us to act irrationally by listening to our temptations however through, her teaching of self-control, motivation, and the beneficial aspect of controlling your willpower can lead to a successful and healthy human being. Facing these temptations can be difficult when dealt with, but through the willpower experiments the cause and effects of temptations can be learned from. One willpower challenge I currently have is my poor habit of spending money due to the temptations that occurs when I’m mostly with my social peers, but through gaining self-control, a better sense of self-awareness, and motivation progresses me through this challenge.

Start by enhancing your ability to focus. The scientifically proven way to improve your focus and therefore your ability to have more willpower is through meditation. Research to the benefits of meditation and mental health is overwhelmingly positive. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to find a study saying meditation is negative for you. It isn’t even just the positive impact on your mental strength – studies have shown meditation to be beneficial for your physical health as well. Meditating can provide you with more energy, which is useful for your mental strength as well. When you have energy, you are more able to make good decisions and have the mental and physical strength to keep moving forward.