In this lecture, Bergin discusses the psychology of self-regulation. Regarding self-control, he states that while many people act as if they weren’t responsible for their own actions, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes believe they are entirely responsible for everything to do with them. Under-control can be caused by a number of factors, most notably impulse disorders (including phobias) and the influence of external stimuli; both of these situations limit one’s available choices, through means of conditioning, repression, or transgression. Bergin uses these concepts to explain the development of unwanted tendencies and how to regain control of them, preferably early in those habits.
Originally published as part of the Commissioner’s Lecture Series, LDS Church Educational System. Author was a professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University.
