The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It

Chapter 2. The Willpower Instinct: Your Body Was Born to Resist
Cheesecake
Page 32—Fight-or-flight stress response:
Sapolsky, R. M. 
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: An
Updated Guide to Stress, Stress Related Diseases, and Coping
. 2nd ed. New York: W. H. Freeman,
1998.
Page 33—Stress impairs prefrontal cortex:
Arnsten, A. F. “Stress Signaling Pathways That Impair
Prefrontal Cortex Structure and Function.” 
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
10 (2009): 410–22.
Page 35—Pause-and-plan response:
Segerstrom, S. C., J. K. Hardy, D. R. Evans, and N. F.
Winters. “Pause and Plan: Self-Regulation and the Heart.” In: Gendolla, G. and R. Wright, eds.
Motivational Perspectives on Cardiovascular Response
. Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association, in press.
Page 37—Self-control requires energy:
Madsen, P. L., S. G. Hasselbalch, L. P. Hage-mann, K. S.
Olsen, J. Bulow, S. Holm, G. Wildschiodtz, O. B. Paulson, and N. A. Lassen. “Persistent Resetting of
the Cerebral Oxygen/Glucose Uptake Ratio by Brain Activation: Evidence Obtained with the Kety-
Schmidt Technique.” 
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
15 (1995): 485–91.
Page 38—Resisting sweets requires increase in heart-rate variability:
Segerstrom, S. C., and L.
S. Nes. “Heart Rate Variability Reflects Self-Regulatory Strength, Effort, and Fatigue.”
Psychological Science
18 (2007): 275–81.
Page 39—Heart rate variability distinguishes alcoholics at risk of relapse:
Ingjaldsson, J. T., J.
C. Laberg, and J. F. Thayer. “Reduced Heart Rate Variability in Chronic Alcohol Abuse: Relationship
with Negative Mood, Chronic Thought Suppression, and Compulsive Drinking.” 
Biological
Psychiatry
54 (2003): 1427–36.
Page 39—High heart rate variability helps self-control:
Thayer, J. F., A. L. Hansen, E. Saus-
Rose, and B. H. Johnsen. “Heart Rate Variability, Prefrontal Neural Function, and Cognitive
Performance: The Neurovisceral Integration Perspective on Self-Regulation, Adaptation, and
Health.” 
Annals of Behavioral Medicine
37 (2009): 141–53.
Page 39—High heart rate variability helps persistence:
Segerstrom, S. C., and L. S. Nes. “Heart
Rate Variability Reflects Self-Regulatory Strength, Effort, and Fatigue.” 
Psychological Science
18
(2007): 275–81. See also Geisler, F. C. M., and T. Kubiak. “Heart Rate Variability Predicts Self-
Control in Goal Pursuit.” 
European Journal of Personality
23 (2009): 623–33.
Page 39—Depression, mood, and heart rate variability:
Taylor, C. B. “Depression, Heart Rate–
Related Variables and Cardiovascular Disease.” 
International Journal of Psychophysiology
78
(2010): 80–88. See also Grippo, A. J., C. S. Carter, N. McNeal, D. L. Chandler, M. A. Larocca, S. L.
Bates, and S. W. Porges. “24-Hour Autonomic Dysfunction and Depressive Behaviors in an Animal
Model of Social Isolation: Implications for the Study of Depression and Cardiovascular Disease.”
Psychosomatic Medicine
(2010).
Page 39—Chronic pain, illness, and heart rate variability:
Solberg Nes, L., C. R. Carlson, L. J.
Crofford, R. de Leeuw, and S. C. Segerstrom. “Self-Regulatory Deficits in Fibromyalgia and
Temporomandibular Disorders.” 
Pain
151 (2010): 37–44.
Page 39—Meditation increases heart rate variability:
Peressutti, C., J. M. Martin-Gonzalez, J.
M. García-Manso, and D. Mesa. “Heart Rate Dynamics in Different Levels of Zen Meditation.”
International Journal of Cardiology
145 (2010): 142–46. See also Tang, Y.-Y., Y. Ma, Y. Fan, H.

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Feng, J. Wang, S. Feng, Q. Lu, et al. “Central and Autonomic Nervous System Interaction Is Altered
by Short-Term Meditation.”