Self-regulation of social behavior

Self-regulation is a central quality of human behavior. People are not wholly dependent on external motivators and rewards as references for modifying their behavior; people also self-regulate, that is, they use their own beliefs and internal states to modify their behavior. However, little is known about self-regulatory processes in one of the most common social interactions: the meeting of two strangers. The ambiguity of this social interaction makes it a particularly rich context for studying self-regulation. In the absence of clear behavioral guidelines, people must use their beliefs and emotions to guide behavior. The present research examined how people's self-beliefs and emotions relate to social approach and avoidance upon meeting a stranger. Two studies examined self-regulatory processes in individuals characterized by a particular type of self-regulation failure: too much avoidance in shy individuals (Study 1) and too much approach in patients with orbitofrontal lesions (Study 2). The findings suggest that people's standards are important for regulating social behavior. Study 1 showed that shy people who believe they can change their shyness show less extreme behavioral inhibition than those who believe they can do nothing to change their shyness. Additionally, self-insight into social behavior was important for regulating social behavior appropriately. Self-deprecation was associated with too much social avoidance (Study 1) and self-enhancement was associated with too much approach (Study 2). Finally, both studies suggest that too much emotion is associated with extreme social avoidance (Study 1) whereas too little emotional input is associated with extreme social approach (Study 2).