Marina Milyavskaya
Biographic Data
| ID | 205446 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Marina Milyavskaya |
| GIVEN NAMES | Marina |
| FAMILY NAME | Milyavskaya |
| SIGNATURE | MILYAVSKAYA M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Carleton University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0510-4891 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 56 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 33 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Effects of Psychological Distance on Mental Abstraction: A Registered Report of Four Tests of Construal-Level Theory
Construal-level theory (CLT) proposes that psychological distance influences the level of abstraction at which something is mentally construed: Things perceived as less probable (likelihood) or further away from the here (spatial distance), now (temporal distance), or self (social distance) are thought about more abstractly. In this international multilab study, we tested four basic hypotheses derived from core assumptions of CLT and explore pote…
What Makes a Habit? Investigating Potential Determinants of Habit Formation
Habitual behaviors are automatic responses to specific cues, acquired through repetition in stable contexts. While habits can support long-term behavior change, relatively little is known about which factors influence their development. We conducted a preregistered reanalysis of a 6-month longitudinal study on habit formation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants ( N = 254) completed monthly surveys assessing behavioral automaticity (i.e., h…
Beyond Resistance: Understanding Trait Self-Control Through Strategic Indulgence
Trait self-control is often equated with resistance, leaving open whether it also involves domain-general conflict minimization and the strategic indulgence of low-conflict desires. We reanalyzed four ambulatory assessment datasets ( N = 559 participants with 32,049 measurement occasions) to test whether these mechanisms explain the well-being benefits of trait self-control. Results showed that individuals high in self-control experienced fewer d…
Investigating object orientation effects across 18 languages
Mental simulation theories of language comprehension propose that people automatically create mental representations of objects mentioned in sentences. Mental representation is often measured with the sentence-picture verification task, wherein participants first read a sentence that implies the object property (i.e., shape and orientation). Participants then respond to an image of an object by indicating whether it was an object from the sentenc…
Goals Across Time Frames and Temporal Landmarks: Do Time of Year and Goal Age Influence Goal Perceptions
Research on personal goals is conducted at various times during the year, and researchers ask participants about their goals in different ways, eliciting both new goals and goals that have been pursued for varying amounts of time. But do these differences affect how people perceive and report on their goals? In line with the fresh start effect, which proposes that people think differently about goals around temporal landmarks, we anticipated that…
When more is less: Self-control strategies are seen as less indicative of self-control than just willpower
All Goals are Equal: No Interactions Between Depressive Symptoms and Goal Characteristics on Goal Progress
Introduction. Depression is related to poor achievement and impacts people's capacity to attain their goals (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Johnson et al., 2010; Street, 2002). But do depressive symptoms impact goal pursuit differently depending on the kinds of goals that people pursue? Methods. Across three studies (total N = 666 undergraduate students, total goals = 2,546), we examine the role of up to 16 goal characteristics as modera…
Experiencing obstacles during goal pursuit: The role of goal motivation and trait self-control
Perfectionism predicts disordered eating and gambling via focused self-concept among those high in erroneous beliefs about their disordered behavior
Autonomous motivation and support flourishes for individuals higher in collaborative personality factors: Agreeableness, assisted autonomy striving, and secure attachment
INTRODUCTION: Individuals who strive autonomously for their goals, and who perceive autonomy supportive environments are more successful during goal pursuit. What dispositional factors predict autonomy flourishing during goal pursuit? METHODS: = 1,544) completed surveys on motivation, support, and personality. Structural equation models were created using Mplus software to test whether collaborative personality factors were related to growth in a…
Self‐control in daily life: Prevalence and effectiveness of diverse self‐control strategies
OBJECTIVE: What strategies do people use to resist desires in their day-to-day life? How effective are these strategies? Do people use different strategies for different desires? This study addresses these questions using experience sampling to examine strategy use in daily life. METHOD: = 20.4, 63% female) reported on their use of six specific strategies (situation modification, distraction, reminding self of goals, promise to give in later, rem…
Mindfully motivated: Can a brief session of mindfulness meditation enhance motivation towards personal goals
Recent research suggests that mindfulness meditation may impair motivation towards traditional laboratory tasks. The present research explored the effects of meditation on motivation towards personal goals and an anagram task. In Study 1 ( n = 200), participants in the mindfulness condition reported greater goal motivation than those in a comparison podcast condition (due to a decrease in the podcast condition); this difference remained 10 min la…
How partner‐satisfying decisions benefit relationships: An experience sampling study
Sometimes, individuals must choose between acting in a way that satisfies their own desire or acting in a way that satisfies their partner's desire. What are the consequences of choosing one over the other for individuals' well‐being and relationship? Using experience sampling data (934 reports by 106 participants) that assessed daily decision conflicts in relationships, we examined consequences of partner‐satisfying decisions. A higher proportio…
Do mindful people set better goals? Investigating the relation between trait mindfulness, self-concordance, and goal progress
Examining the unique and combined effects of grit, trait self-control, and conscientiousness in predicting motivation for academic goals: A commonality analysis
We May Not Know What We Want, But Do We Know What We Need? Examining the Ability to Forecast Need Satisfaction in Goal Pursuit
Do we have the necessary perceptual abilities to set goals that are congruent with our own values and needs? In a prospective study, participants ( n =185) identified three goals that they planned to pursue throughout the week. For each goal, they then rated their motivation for pursuing it and made predictions about the extent to which goal attainment would satisfy their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. One week later, participan…
Fear of missing out: Prevalence, dynamics, and consequences of experiencing Fomo
Domain-specific perfectionism: An examination of perfectionism beyond the trait-level and its link to well-being
Gaming motivation and problematic video gaming: The role of needs frustration
Motivation is often used as a predictor of a problematic style of video game engagement, implying that individuals' gaming undermines optimal functioning. Drawing from recent advances in Self‐Determination Theory (SDT), the present study explores the links between gaming motivations, the daily frustration of basic psychological needs, and reports of problematic video gaming (PVG). A sample of 1029 participants (72.8% male; M = 22.96 years; SD = 4…
Development of a Within-Subject, Repeated-Measures Ego-Depletion Paradigm: Inconsistent Results and Future Recommendations
Ego depletion is under scrutiny for low replicability, possibly reflecting the limited statistical power available in between-subject designs. In response, we created a within-subject, repeated-measures ego-depletion paradigm that repeatedly alternated depletion and recovery manipulations. Each manipulation was followed by measuring subjective fatigue, mood, and self-control performance. Across 12 studies (N = 754), participants reliably reported…
Health goals among American adults: Prevalence, characteristics, and barriers
Although numerous factors have been demonstrated in laboratory settings to lead to more successful health goal attainment, their actual use in daily goal pursuit is unknown. This study examines spontaneously reported health goals and their characteristics in a sample of 557 American adults. Participants responded to questions about health and health goals, with items assessing motivation, social support, and implementation intentions. In all, 66 …
What’s So Great About Self-Control? Examining the Importance of Effortful Self-Control and Temptation in Predicting Real-Life Depletion and Goal Attainment
Self-control is typically viewed as a key ingredient responsible for effective self-regulation and personal goal attainment. This study used experience sampling, daily diary, and prospective data collection to investigate the immediate and semester-long consequences of effortful self-control and temptations on depletion and goal attainment. Results showed that goal attainment was influenced by experiences of temptations rather than by actively re…
Let’s play the blame game: The distinct effects of personal standards and self-critical perfectionism on attributions of success and failure during goal pursuit
Motivational and neural correlates of self-control of eating: A combined neuroimaging and experience sampling study in dieting female college students
Goal Internalization and Persistence as a Function of Autonomous and Directive Forms of Goal Support: Autonomous and Directive Goal Support
Two prospective studies examined the relations of autonomy support and directive support to goal internalization and goal persistence over a year. Study 1 examined the role of support and internalization in semester-long goals set by college students and whether the goals were reset in the following semester. Study 2 examined semester-long goals and long-term developmental goals. Study 1 showed that autonomy support was not only significantly ass…
Saying “no” to temptation: Want-to motivation improves self-regulation by reducing temptation rather than by increasing self-control
Self-regulation has been conceptualized as the interplay between controlled and impulsive processes; however, most research has focused on the controlled side (i.e., effortful self-control). The present studies focus on the effects of motivation on impulsive processes, including automatic preferences for goal-disruptive stimuli and subjective reports of temptations and obstacles, contrasting them with effects on controlled processes. This is done…
Development of a Within-Subject, Repeated-Measures Ego-Depletion Paradigm: Inconsistent Results and Future Recommendations
Ego depletion is under scrutiny for low replicability, possibly reflecting the limited statistical power available in between-subject designs. In response, we created a within-subject, repeated-measures ego-depletion paradigm that repeatedly alternated depletion and recovery manipulations. Each manipulation was followed by measuring subjective fatigue, mood, and self-control performance. Across 12 studies (N = 754), participants reliably reported…
Restoration process of the need for autonomy: The early alarm stage
Autonomy is described by self-determination theory as a basic psychological need, essential for individuals' well-being. While basic needs are generally thought to induce a restorative response when thwarted, evidence for such a process is lacking for autonomy. To date, most evidence indicates that autonomy deprivation leads to disaffection of this need in favor of other motives. A temporal model based on the general adaptation syndrome was adapt…
Health goals among American adults: Prevalence, characteristics, and barriers
Although numerous factors have been demonstrated in laboratory settings to lead to more successful health goal attainment, their actual use in daily goal pursuit is unknown. This study examines spontaneously reported health goals and their characteristics in a sample of 557 American adults. Participants responded to questions about health and health goals, with items assessing motivation, social support, and implementation intentions. In all, 66 …
Let’s play the blame game: The distinct effects of personal standards and self-critical perfectionism on attributions of success and failure during goal pursuit
Motivational and neural correlates of self-control of eating: A combined neuroimaging and experience sampling study in dieting female college students
Strong but insecure: Examining the prevalence and correlates of insecure attachment bonds with attachment figures
This study examined whether people can be insecurely attached to figures who are actively sought out (and not just desired) to fulfill attachment functions and whether this has negative consequences for psychological well-being. A total of 122 participants rated 3-15 relational targets on measures including the extent to which the target fulfills important attachment functions and the attachment style characterizing the relationship. Participants…
Do mindful people set better goals? Investigating the relation between trait mindfulness, self-concordance, and goal progress
Examining the unique and combined effects of grit, trait self-control, and conscientiousness in predicting motivation for academic goals: A commonality analysis
Gaming motivation and problematic video gaming: The role of needs frustration
Motivation is often used as a predictor of a problematic style of video game engagement, implying that individuals' gaming undermines optimal functioning. Drawing from recent advances in Self‐Determination Theory (SDT), the present study explores the links between gaming motivations, the daily frustration of basic psychological needs, and reports of problematic video gaming (PVG). A sample of 1029 participants (72.8% male; M = 22.96 years; SD = 4…
Psychological need satisfaction across levels of experience: Their organization and contribution to general well-being
When more is less: Self-control strategies are seen as less indicative of self-control than just willpower
Experiencing obstacles during goal pursuit: The role of goal motivation and trait self-control
Mindfully motivated: Can a brief session of mindfulness meditation enhance motivation towards personal goals
Recent research suggests that mindfulness meditation may impair motivation towards traditional laboratory tasks. The present research explored the effects of meditation on motivation towards personal goals and an anagram task. In Study 1 ( n = 200), participants in the mindfulness condition reported greater goal motivation than those in a comparison podcast condition (due to a decrease in the podcast condition); this difference remained 10 min la…
How partner‐satisfying decisions benefit relationships: An experience sampling study
Sometimes, individuals must choose between acting in a way that satisfies their own desire or acting in a way that satisfies their partner's desire. What are the consequences of choosing one over the other for individuals' well‐being and relationship? Using experience sampling data (934 reports by 106 participants) that assessed daily decision conflicts in relationships, we examined consequences of partner‐satisfying decisions. A higher proportio…
Domain-specific perfectionism: An examination of perfectionism beyond the trait-level and its link to well-being
Beyond the self in self-control: The role of relational interdependent self-construal in goal pursuit
The purpose of this research was to examine the role of self-construal on goal instrumentality in close friendships. Participants (105 female friend dyads, N = 210) were asked to set personal academic goals and were followed up over the course of a semester. Using the actor-partner interdependence model, results revealed that those with a high relational self-construal were more likely to perceive their friends to be instrumental to their goals. …
Psychological needs, motivation, and well-being: A test of self-determination theory across multiple domains
Restoration process of the need for autonomy: The early alarm stage
Autonomy is described by self-determination theory as a basic psychological need, essential for individuals' well-being. While basic needs are generally thought to induce a restorative response when thwarted, evidence for such a process is lacking for autonomy. To date, most evidence indicates that autonomy deprivation leads to disaffection of this need in favor of other motives. A temporal model based on the general adaptation syndrome was adapt…
Psychological need satisfaction across levels of experience: Their organization and contribution to general well-being
Strong but insecure: Examining the prevalence and correlates of insecure attachment bonds with attachment figures
This study examined whether people can be insecurely attached to figures who are actively sought out (and not just desired) to fulfill attachment functions and whether this has negative consequences for psychological well-being. A total of 122 participants rated 3-15 relational targets on measures including the extent to which the target fulfills important attachment functions and the attachment style characterizing the relationship. Participants…
Self-Growth in the College Years: Increased Importance of Intrinsic Values Predicts Resolution of Identity and Intimacy Stages
Could a shift in values over time drive resolution of identity and intimacy in young adulthood? In the present study, we found support for our hypothesis that increased prioritization of intrinsic values over an academic year predicts university students’ resolution of the Eriksonian stages of identity and intimacy, and that stage resolution would mediate the relationship between value change and enhanced well-being. Among the 196 students follow…
The Role of Self-Compassion in Goal Pursuit and Well-Being Among University Freshmen
We examined the role of self-compassion in freshmen students' goal pursuit and well-being across the first year of university. Multilevel analyses of 1 week of daily diary assessment revealed that individuals high in self-compassion appeared to be less vulnerable to the affective consequences of thwarted goal progress. We also found that trait self-compassion moderated the relation of autonomous goal motivation to negative affect, such that auton…
Goal Internalization and Persistence as a Function of Autonomous and Directive Forms of Goal Support: Autonomous and Directive Goal Support
Two prospective studies examined the relations of autonomy support and directive support to goal internalization and goal persistence over a year. Study 1 examined the role of support and internalization in semester-long goals set by college students and whether the goals were reset in the following semester. Study 2 examined semester-long goals and long-term developmental goals. Study 1 showed that autonomy support was not only significantly ass…
Saying “no” to temptation: Want-to motivation improves self-regulation by reducing temptation rather than by increasing self-control
Self-regulation has been conceptualized as the interplay between controlled and impulsive processes; however, most research has focused on the controlled side (i.e., effortful self-control). The present studies focus on the effects of motivation on impulsive processes, including automatic preferences for goal-disruptive stimuli and subjective reports of temptations and obstacles, contrasting them with effects on controlled processes. This is done…
Beyond the self in self-control: The role of relational interdependent self-construal in goal pursuit
The purpose of this research was to examine the role of self-construal on goal instrumentality in close friendships. Participants (105 female friend dyads, N = 210) were asked to set personal academic goals and were followed up over the course of a semester. Using the actor-partner interdependence model, results revealed that those with a high relational self-construal were more likely to perceive their friends to be instrumental to their goals. …
Motivational and neural correlates of self-control of eating: A combined neuroimaging and experience sampling study in dieting female college students
What’s So Great About Self-Control? Examining the Importance of Effortful Self-Control and Temptation in Predicting Real-Life Depletion and Goal Attainment
Self-control is typically viewed as a key ingredient responsible for effective self-regulation and personal goal attainment. This study used experience sampling, daily diary, and prospective data collection to investigate the immediate and semester-long consequences of effortful self-control and temptations on depletion and goal attainment. Results showed that goal attainment was influenced by experiences of temptations rather than by actively re…
Let’s play the blame game: The distinct effects of personal standards and self-critical perfectionism on attributions of success and failure during goal pursuit
We May Not Know What We Want, But Do We Know What We Need? Examining the Ability to Forecast Need Satisfaction in Goal Pursuit
Do we have the necessary perceptual abilities to set goals that are congruent with our own values and needs? In a prospective study, participants ( n =185) identified three goals that they planned to pursue throughout the week. For each goal, they then rated their motivation for pursuing it and made predictions about the extent to which goal attainment would satisfy their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. One week later, participan…
Fear of missing out: Prevalence, dynamics, and consequences of experiencing Fomo
Domain-specific perfectionism: An examination of perfectionism beyond the trait-level and its link to well-being
Gaming motivation and problematic video gaming: The role of needs frustration
Motivation is often used as a predictor of a problematic style of video game engagement, implying that individuals' gaming undermines optimal functioning. Drawing from recent advances in Self‐Determination Theory (SDT), the present study explores the links between gaming motivations, the daily frustration of basic psychological needs, and reports of problematic video gaming (PVG). A sample of 1029 participants (72.8% male; M = 22.96 years; SD = 4…
Development of a Within-Subject, Repeated-Measures Ego-Depletion Paradigm: Inconsistent Results and Future Recommendations
Ego depletion is under scrutiny for low replicability, possibly reflecting the limited statistical power available in between-subject designs. In response, we created a within-subject, repeated-measures ego-depletion paradigm that repeatedly alternated depletion and recovery manipulations. Each manipulation was followed by measuring subjective fatigue, mood, and self-control performance. Across 12 studies (N = 754), participants reliably reported…
Health goals among American adults: Prevalence, characteristics, and barriers
Although numerous factors have been demonstrated in laboratory settings to lead to more successful health goal attainment, their actual use in daily goal pursuit is unknown. This study examines spontaneously reported health goals and their characteristics in a sample of 557 American adults. Participants responded to questions about health and health goals, with items assessing motivation, social support, and implementation intentions. In all, 66 …
Examining the unique and combined effects of grit, trait self-control, and conscientiousness in predicting motivation for academic goals: A commonality analysis
How partner‐satisfying decisions benefit relationships: An experience sampling study
Sometimes, individuals must choose between acting in a way that satisfies their own desire or acting in a way that satisfies their partner's desire. What are the consequences of choosing one over the other for individuals' well‐being and relationship? Using experience sampling data (934 reports by 106 participants) that assessed daily decision conflicts in relationships, we examined consequences of partner‐satisfying decisions. A higher proportio…
Do mindful people set better goals? Investigating the relation between trait mindfulness, self-concordance, and goal progress
Perfectionism predicts disordered eating and gambling via focused self-concept among those high in erroneous beliefs about their disordered behavior
Autonomous motivation and support flourishes for individuals higher in collaborative personality factors: Agreeableness, assisted autonomy striving, and secure attachment
INTRODUCTION: Individuals who strive autonomously for their goals, and who perceive autonomy supportive environments are more successful during goal pursuit. What dispositional factors predict autonomy flourishing during goal pursuit? METHODS: = 1,544) completed surveys on motivation, support, and personality. Structural equation models were created using Mplus software to test whether collaborative personality factors were related to growth in a…
Self‐control in daily life: Prevalence and effectiveness of diverse self‐control strategies
OBJECTIVE: What strategies do people use to resist desires in their day-to-day life? How effective are these strategies? Do people use different strategies for different desires? This study addresses these questions using experience sampling to examine strategy use in daily life. METHOD: = 20.4, 63% female) reported on their use of six specific strategies (situation modification, distraction, reminding self of goals, promise to give in later, rem…
Mindfully motivated: Can a brief session of mindfulness meditation enhance motivation towards personal goals
Recent research suggests that mindfulness meditation may impair motivation towards traditional laboratory tasks. The present research explored the effects of meditation on motivation towards personal goals and an anagram task. In Study 1 ( n = 200), participants in the mindfulness condition reported greater goal motivation than those in a comparison podcast condition (due to a decrease in the podcast condition); this difference remained 10 min la…
Psychology (28 works) · Social Psychology (24 works) · Behavioral Health and Interventions (22 works) · Developmental psychology (15 works) · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports (11 works) · Self-control (9 works) · Clinical Psychology (8 works) · Goal pursuit (7 works) · Cognitive psychology (6 works) · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction (6 works)