It is motivation that drives all our daily endeavors, and it is motivation, or the lack of it, that accounts for most of our successes and failures. Motivation, however, needs to be carefully controlled and regulated to be effective.

This book surveys the most recent psychological research on how motivational processes are regulated in daily life to achieve desired outcomes. Contributors are all leading international investigators, and they explore such exciting questions as: What is the relationship between motivation and self-control? What is the role of affect and cognition in regulating motivation? How do conscious and unconscious motivational processes interact? What role do physiological processes play in controlling motivation? How can we regulate aggressive impulses? How do affective states control motivation? Can motivation distort perception and attention? What are the social, cultural and interpersonal effects of motivational control?

Understanding human motivation is not only of theoretical interest, but is also fundamental to applied fields such as clinical, counseling, educational, organizational, marketing and industrial psychology. The book is also suitable as an advanced textbook in courses in motivational sciences, and is recommended to students, teachers, researchers and applied professionals as well as laypersons interested in the psychology of human motivation and self-control.

"The emergence of research on self-control has been one of the most significant developments in the history of the behavioral sciences. In this book, leading motivation scientists present new theoretical ideas and cutting-edge research on this topic. The book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding how people (sometimes) manage to control themselves." -Yaacov Trope, Ph.D., New York University "This remarkable volume offers a refreshing and enlightening perspective on new developments in behavioral research on motivation and behavior regulation. The various chapters represent both the leading approaches that have dominated research over the last two decades as well as novel approaches that will inspire future research. It is this appealing mixture that makes the book both informative and challenging." -Klaus Fiedler, Ph.D., Heidelberg University "This timely book presents a fascinating assortment of contributions by a star-studded lineup of major thinkers and researchers. Even by the high standards of the Sydney Symposium, this group is tremendous. Motivation and self-regulation are two of the most important and hottest topics in all of psychology, and this wonderful book studies their interplay from a rich variety of perspectives. This book is a terrific resource for anyone wishing to be brought quickly up to date on the exciting developments and latest research." -RoyF. Baumeister, Ph.D., Florida State University "Motivation directs people towards attaining desired outcomes and it energizes respective thoughts, feelings, and actions. However, to meet their ultimate goals people often need to up- or down-regulate their motivations. The present edited volume addresses the question of how this is done best by covering different areas of human functioning (e.g., conscious vs. non-conscious action control, affective mechanisms, social interactions)." -Peter Gollwitzer, Ph.D., New York University "Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Joeseph P. Forgas... and Eddie Harmon-Jones... Motivation and Its Regulation: The Control Within is... strongly recommended as a significant and important addition to academic library Psychology Studies reference collections and psychological studies supplemental reading lists" -James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review, USA