Introduction
Self-regulation—the capacity to monitor and modulate cognition, emotion, and behavior to achieve goals, adapt to social contexts, and align with personal values—represents a cornerstone of human development and functioning. This multifaceted construct spans cognitive control, emotion regulation, behavior management, motivation, and metacognition, with profound implications for mental health, academic achievement, social relationships, and overall wellbeing. The following list identifies the 100 most influential individuals who have shaped our understanding of self-regulation through groundbreaking theories, research methodologies, assessment approaches, and interventions. From developmental psychologists documenting the emergence of regulatory capacities in early childhood to neuroscientists mapping the brain mechanisms underlying control processes, these pioneering figures have collectively transformed our understanding of how humans regulate themselves across contexts and the lifespan.
Foundational Theorists and Early Pioneers
1. Walter Mischel (1930-2018)
Psychologist whose iconic “marshmallow test” experiments revealed young children’s capacity for delay of gratification and demonstrated the long-term consequences of early self-regulatory abilities. His hot/cool systems framework distinguished between impulsive emotional responses and cognitive control processes, establishing foundational concepts in self-regulation research.
2. Albert Bandura (1925-2021)
Social cognitive theorist whose self-efficacy concept and social learning theory established how self-beliefs influence regulatory processes. His triadic model of reciprocal determinism explaining interactions between person, behavior, and environment provided a comprehensive framework for understanding self-regulation as both socially influenced and personally directed.
3. Julius Kuhl (b. 1947)
German psychologist who developed Personality Systems Interactions (PSI) theory, distinguishing between action versus state orientation and identifying how positive affect facilitates self-regulation by enabling access to integrated self-representations. His work established connections between personality dispositions and regulatory capabilities.
4. Charles Carver (b. 1947)
Psychologist who, with Michael Scheier, developed the influential cybernetic control model of self-regulation based on feedback loops, establishing how goal-directed behavior involves monitoring progress toward goals and adjusting behavior to reduce discrepancies between current and desired states.
5. Michael Scheier (b. 1947)
Psychologist who collaborated with Carver on cybernetic self-regulation models and research on optimism, demonstrating how positive expectancies influence people’s regulatory efforts and persistence toward goals even when facing difficulties.
6. Edward Deci (1942-2022)
Motivational psychologist who, with Richard Ryan, developed Self-Determination Theory distinguishing between autonomous and controlled motivation, establishing how regulation can range from external control to integrated self-regulation based on the satisfaction of fundamental psychological needs.
7. Richard Ryan (b. 1953)
Psychologist who, with Deci, established Self-Determination Theory’s spectrum of regulatory styles from external to integrated regulation, demonstrating how internalization of external regulations depends on satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs.
8. Jack Block (1924-2010)
Personality psychologist whose constructs of ego-control and ego-resiliency provided early frameworks for understanding individual differences in impulse regulation and adaptive self-modification in response to environmental demands, influencing subsequent developmental approaches to self-regulation.
9. Jerome Kagan (1929-2021)
Developmental psychologist whose pioneering work on temperament, particularly behavioral inhibition, established biological foundations for individual differences in reactivity and regulation, demonstrating how temperamental qualities interact with experience to shape regulatory development.
10. Mary Rothbart (b. 1940)
Developmental psychologist whose comprehensive model of temperament distinguished between reactive and self-regulatory processes, established effortful control as a core component of self-regulation, and developed measurement approaches that transformed research on individual differences in regulatory capacity.
11. Donald Meichenbaum (b. 1940)
Psychologist who developed cognitive behavior modification, emphasizing self-instructional training where individuals learn to guide their behavior through self-talk. His work established how internal speech facilitates self-regulation and formed the basis for numerous cognitive-behavioral interventions.
12. Barry Zimmerman (b. 1942)
Educational psychologist whose cyclical model of self-regulated learning established how metacognitive processes (planning, monitoring, evaluating) enable academic success. His work bridged cognitive and social cognitive approaches to self-regulation in achievement contexts.
13. Donald H. Baumeister (b. 1953)
Social psychologist whose strength model of self-control proposed that regulatory resources can be temporarily depleted (ego depletion), generating extensive research on willpower limitations and recovery. His work expanded understanding of self-regulation failure and capacity variation.
14. Michael I. Posner (b. 1936)
Cognitive neuroscientist whose research on attention networks established neurological bases for executive attention, demonstrating developmental pathways and genetic influences on attentional control systems that support self-regulation.
15. Terrie Moffitt (b. 1955)
Psychologist whose longitudinal research demonstrated the predictive power of early self-control for life outcomes including health, wealth, and criminality, establishing self-regulation as a critical developmental capacity with lifelong consequences.
Developmental Approaches and Early Emergence
16. Clancy Blair (b. 1961)
Developmental psychologist whose research on executive function development in early childhood has illuminated how stress physiology and early experiences shape regulatory capacities, particularly in educational contexts and among children facing adversity.
17. Megan McClelland (b. 1970)
Educational psychologist whose research on behavioral self-regulation in young children has established measurement approaches and interventions to promote school readiness, particularly focusing on the integration of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional regulation for academic success.
18. Phil Zelazo (b. 1966)
Developmental cognitive neuroscientist whose cognitive complexity and control theory explains age-related improvements in executive function through increased capacity to reflect on rules, while his research on reflection training demonstrates how mindfulness supports regulatory development.
19. Adele Diamond (b. 1952)
Neuroscientist whose research on prefrontal cortex development established biological bases for executive function growth and demonstrated how specific activities and programs can support regulatory skill development in young children.
20. Claire Kopp (1940-2018)
Developmental psychologist whose stage model of self-regulation traced development from neurophysiological modulation to self-control to self-regulation, establishing how regulatory capacities become increasingly flexible, intentional, and goal-directed throughout early childhood.
21. Susan Calkins (b. 1956)
Psychologist whose research on physiological and behavioral regulation in early development established how regulatory capacities emerge from caregiver-child interactions and influence social-emotional outcomes, particularly focusing on cardiac vagal tone as a physiological marker.
22. Peter Salovey (b. 1958)
Psychologist who, with John Mayer, established emotional intelligence as a construct encompassing the perception, understanding, and regulation of emotions, developing theoretical frameworks and measurement approaches for emotional self-regulation.
23. W. Andrew Collins (1944-2020)
Developmental psychologist whose research on the development of self-regulation in parent-child relationships and peer contexts demonstrated how social interactions provide a context for learning regulatory strategies throughout childhood and adolescence.
24. Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999)
Developmental psychologist whose attachment research established how secure attachment relationships support emotional regulation development, demonstrating the role of caregiver sensitivity in fostering children’s regulatory capabilities.
25. John Gottman (b. 1942)
Psychologist whose research on emotion coaching established how parents’ responses to children’s emotions influence regulatory development, identifying specific practices that help children understand and manage their emotional experiences.
26. Nancy Eisenberg (b. 1950)
Developmental psychologist whose research on emotion-related regulation demonstrated links between regulatory capacity and social competence, establishing how different dimensions of regulation (control, reactivity) relate to prosocial behavior and problem behavior.
27. Grazyna Kochanska (b. 1953)
Developmental psychologist whose research on early conscience development established how temperament interacts with parent-child relationship quality to influence internalization of rules and standards, particularly through mutually responsive orientation.
28. Nathan Fox (b. 1947)
Developmental psychologist whose research on temperamental differences in reactivity and regulation has illuminated biological foundations of self-regulation, particularly focusing on physiological correlates and longitudinal outcomes of different regulatory profiles.
29. Cynthia Garcia Coll (b. 1952)
Developmental psychologist whose integrative model of child development highlighted how cultural contexts and social position influence regulatory development, particularly for minority children navigating multiple cultural contexts.
30. Xavier Castellanos (b. 1959)
Neuroscientist whose research on ADHD has illuminated neurobiological mechanisms underlying regulatory difficulties, advancing understanding of both typical and atypical development of self-regulation.
Cognitive and Executive Function Approaches
31. Adele Diamond (b. 1952)
Cognitive neuroscientist whose research has established critical periods in prefrontal cortex development, demonstrated executive function components (inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility), and developed interventions to support executive function development in children.
32. Akira Miyake (b. 1966)
Cognitive psychologist whose latent variable analyses identified three separable but related executive functions (updating, inhibition, shifting) that form the cognitive foundation of self-regulation, influencing subsequent measurement and theoretical approaches.
33. Alan Baddeley (b. 1934)
Cognitive psychologist whose working memory model, particularly the central executive component, established foundations for understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying goal-directed behavior and self-regulatory processing.
34. Randy Engle (b. 1946)
Cognitive psychologist whose research on working memory capacity established individual differences in attentional control as a core mechanism underlying self-regulatory capabilities, particularly through studies of cognitive control under interference conditions.
35. Earl Miller (b. 1962)
Neuroscientist whose research on prefrontal cortex function has illuminated neural mechanisms of cognitive control, particularly how this brain region maintains goal representations that guide behavior and attention in accordance with internal states.
36. Leanne Tamm (b. 1973)
Clinical psychologist whose research and intervention development has focused on improving executive function in children with ADHD, establishing approaches to address specific self-regulatory challenges.
37. Michelle Martel (b. 1980)
Clinical psychologist whose research has explored the developmental psychopathology of self-regulation, particularly examining sex differences in regulatory difficulties and their relationship to externalizing disorders.
38. Joel Nigg (b. 1960)
Clinical psychologist whose research on ADHD has advanced understanding of heterogeneity in self-regulatory difficulties, establishing multiple pathways to regulatory challenges including executive and motivational mechanisms.
39. Martha Denckla (b. 1931)
Neurologist whose early research established assessment approaches for executive function and identified developmental patterns in regulatory capabilities, particularly influencing understanding of neurodevelopmental conditions affecting self-regulation.
40. William Pelham (b. 1948)
Clinical psychologist whose development of behavioral interventions for ADHD has established effective approaches for supporting children with self-regulatory difficulties, particularly through environmental modifications and skills training.
41. Russell Barkley (b. 1949)
Clinical psychologist whose executive function theory of ADHD conceptualized self-regulation as the core deficit in this condition, advancing understanding of inhibitory control as fundamental to other regulatory processes and developing comprehensive assessment and treatment approaches.
42. Luke Clark (b. 1975)
Neuroscientist whose research on gambling and impulse control has illuminated decision-making processes and cognitive distortions that influence regulatory success and failure in risky choice situations.
43. Trevor Robbins (b. 1949)
Neuroscientist whose research on impulsivity and compulsivity has established neurobiological mechanisms underlying self-regulatory failures in addictive and compulsive disorders, particularly focusing on fronto-striatal circuits.
44. Scott Kollins (b. 1970)
Clinical psychologist whose research on ADHD and substance use has illuminated shared self-regulatory mechanisms underlying these conditions and developed assessment approaches for measuring regulatory processes.
45. Bruce Pennington (1944-2020)
Neuropsychologist whose neuropsychological endophenotype approach advanced understanding of executive function deficits across developmental disorders, establishing common and distinct self-regulatory challenges in different conditions.
Emotion Regulation and Affective Science
46. James Gross (b. 1968)
Psychologist whose process model of emotion regulation distinguished strategies based on when they occur in the emotion-generative process (situation selection, situation modification, attentional deployment, cognitive change, response modulation), establishing a comprehensive framework that has organized research on emotional self-regulation.
47. John Gabrieli (b. 1958)
Neuroscientist whose research has illuminated brain mechanisms underlying cognitive reappraisal and other emotion regulation strategies, establishing neural circuitry involved in emotional control processes.
48. Richard Davidson (b. 1951)
Neuroscientist whose research on neural bases of emotion has established prefrontal-amygdala pathways involved in emotion regulation, while his studies of meditation have demonstrated how contemplative practices can strengthen regulatory capabilities.
49. Kevin Ochsner (b. 1969)
Cognitive neuroscientist whose research has established neural systems supporting cognitive regulation of emotion, particularly examining how various forms of reappraisal engage different neural mechanisms.
50. Lisa Feldman Barrett (b. 1963)
Neuroscientist and psychologist whose constructionist theory of emotion has challenged traditional views of emotion regulation, suggesting that emotional experiences are constructed through predictive processes that can be trained and modified.
51. Elaine Fox (b. 1963)
Psychologist whose research on attentional bias has established how automatic attention to emotional stimuli influences emotional reactivity and regulation, particularly in anxiety and depression.
52. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (1959-2013)
Psychologist whose research on rumination identified this maladaptive regulatory strategy as a key mechanism in the development and maintenance of depression, establishing how perseverative focus on negative emotions interferes with effective regulation.
53. Jutta Joormann (b. 1971)
Psychologist whose research has established links between cognitive control deficits and emotion regulation difficulties in depression, demonstrating how working memory processes and inhibitory control influence emotional regulation.
54. Ann Kring (b. 1963)
Clinical psychologist whose research on emotion in schizophrenia has demonstrated distinct patterns of emotional experience and expression, advancing understanding of regulatory challenges in serious mental illness.
55. Helen Mayberg (b. 1956)
Neuroscientist whose research on neural circuitry in depression has identified brain regions and networks involved in emotion regulation and dysregulation, leading to novel neurostimulation treatments targeting regulatory circuits.
56. Marsha Linehan (b. 1943)
Psychologist who developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy, establishing effective approaches for treating emotion dysregulation in borderline personality disorder through skills training in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
57. Matthew Nock (b. 1973)
Clinical psychologist whose research on self-harm and suicide has advanced understanding of these behaviors as maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, developing assessment approaches that capture implicit cognition and real-time monitoring of regulatory processes.
58. June Gruber (b. 1981)
Clinical psychologist whose research on positive emotion regulation has established how difficulties regulating positive emotions contribute to bipolar disorder and demonstrated that emotion regulation goals must be context-appropriate rather than simply maximizing positive emotions.
59. Amelia Aldao (b. 1983)
Clinical psychologist whose transdiagnostic research on emotion regulation has identified how various regulatory strategies relate to different forms of psychopathology, emphasizing regulatory flexibility rather than rigid application of specific strategies.
60. Stefan Hofmann (b. 1967)
Clinical psychologist whose research on emotion regulation in anxiety disorders has established cognitive and behavioral mechanisms underlying regulatory difficulties and developed targeted interventions to enhance emotional control.
Motivation and Goal Regulation
61. Peter Gollwitzer (b. 1950)
Psychologist whose research on implementation intentions established how forming specific if-then plans supports goal achievement by automating goal-directed responses to anticipated situations, bridging the intention-behavior gap in self-regulation.
62. Gabriele Oettingen (b. 1953)
Psychologist whose research on mental contrasting established how contrasting desired futures with present reality energizes goal pursuit when expectations of success are high, while her WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) framework provides a practical self-regulatory strategy.
63. Edward Deci (1942-2022)
Motivational psychologist who, with Richard Ryan, established Self-Determination Theory’s continuum of regulatory styles from external to integrated regulation, demonstrating how autonomy support facilitates internalization of behavioral regulation.
64. Richard Ryan (b. 1953)
Psychologist whose work with Deci on Self-Determination Theory established how autonomous forms of motivation facilitate more effective self-regulation than controlled motivation, with applications across education, health, work, and relationships.
65. Jutta Heckhausen (b. 1955)
Psychologist whose motivational theory of life-span development established how individuals select, pursue, and disengage from goals across the lifespan, adapting regulatory strategies to changing opportunities and constraints.
66. Carol Dweck (b. 1946)
Psychologist whose research on mindsets (fixed vs. growth) established how implicit theories about ability influence motivational patterns and regulatory strategies, particularly in response to setbacks and challenges.
67. Andrew Elliot (b. 1962)
Motivational psychologist whose achievement goal theory distinguished approach and avoidance motivational systems, establishing how these orientations influence self-regulatory processes and performance outcomes.
68. Julius Kuhl (b. 1947)
German psychologist whose action control theory distinguished state- versus action-oriented individuals and identified volitional strategies that support goal implementation under difficult conditions.
69. Judith Harackiewicz (b. 1954)
Educational psychologist whose research on interest and achievement goals has established how different motivational orientations influence regulatory processes in learning contexts, particularly examining interactions between individual and situational factors.
70. Herbert Marsh (b. 1946)
Educational psychologist whose research on academic self-concept has established bidirectional relationships between self-beliefs and achievement, demonstrating how self-perceptions influence regulatory efforts in learning contexts.
71. Kennon Sheldon (b. 1963)
Psychologist whose self-concordance model demonstrated that goals aligned with personal values and interests are pursued with greater regulatory success and well-being benefits than those adopted for external or introjected reasons.
72. Edward Higgins (b. 1946)
Psychologist whose regulatory focus theory distinguished between prevention focus (avoiding negative outcomes) and promotion focus (approaching positive outcomes), establishing how these motivational orientations influence goal pursuit strategies.
73. Walter Mischel (1930-2018)
Psychologist whose cognitive-affective personality system theory established how situational features activate different cognitive-affective units that influence self-regulatory processes, explaining both consistency and variability in self-regulation across contexts.
74. Yaacov Trope (b. 1945)
Psychologist whose construal level theory, developed with Nira Liberman, established how psychological distance influences representation of goals and situations, affecting self-regulatory processes through abstract versus concrete thinking.
75. Paul Karoly (b. 1944)
Psychologist whose integrative model of goal regulation emphasized multi-level control processes, establishing frameworks for understanding self-regulation across clinical and developmental contexts.
Educational and Academic Self-Regulation
76. Dale Schunk (b. 1947)
Educational psychologist whose research on self-efficacy in academic contexts established how students’ beliefs about their regulatory capabilities influence their goal-setting, strategy use, and persistence in learning tasks.
77. Philip Winne (b. 1943)
Educational psychologist whose four-phase model of self-regulated learning (task definition, goal setting and planning, enacting strategies, adaptation) established metacognitive monitoring as central to academic self-regulation.
78. Monique Boekaerts (b. 1946)
Educational psychologist whose dual processing model of self-regulated learning distinguished between mastery and well-being pathways, establishing how students navigate competing goals in learning environments.
79. Paul Pintrich (1953-2003)
Educational psychologist whose framework for self-regulated learning integrated motivational and cognitive components, developing comprehensive measurement approaches that transformed research on academic self-regulation.
80. Lyn Corno (b. 1947)
Educational psychologist whose research on volitional control in learning established how students maintain effort and attention despite distractions and difficulties, extending motivational theories to address implementation challenges.
81. Mary McCaslin (b. 1950)
Educational psychologist whose co-regulation model emphasized how students’ self-regulation develops through interactions with teachers and peers within classroom contexts, establishing self-regulation as socially situated.
82. Karen Harris (b. 1951)
Educational psychologist who developed Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), an evidence-based approach for teaching academic strategies integrated with self-regulation processes, particularly for writing instruction.
83. Steve Graham (b. 1950)
Educational psychologist whose research on writing development has established how self-regulatory processes support writing quality and how strategy instruction can enhance students’ ability to manage the writing process.
84. Allyson Hadwin (b. 1962)
Educational psychologist whose research on socially shared regulation of learning has established how groups collectively regulate their learning processes, extending self-regulation models to collaborative contexts.
85. Marcel Veenman (b. 1960)
Educational psychologist whose research on metacognition has established measurement approaches and developmental patterns in students’ awareness and control of their learning processes.
86. Ellen Skinner (b. 1951)
Developmental psychologist whose motivational models of engagement have established how students’ regulation of academic behavior is influenced by their perceptions of control and relationships with teachers.
87. Judy Willis (b. 1948)
Neurologist and educator whose work translating neuroscience research has established how brain-based approaches can support students’ development of executive functions and self-regulatory strategies.
88. William McKeachie (1921-2019)
Educational psychologist whose research on college teaching established instructional approaches that support students’ development of self-regulated learning strategies, particularly through his influential teaching guides.
89. Patricia Alexander (b. 1953)
Educational psychologist whose Model of Domain Learning integrated expertise development with self-regulation, establishing how regulatory processes change as learners progress from acclimation to competence to proficiency in knowledge domains.
90. Claire Ellen Weinstein (1946-2012)
Educational psychologist whose research on strategic learning developed comprehensive models and assessments of learning strategies, metacognition, and self-regulation in academic contexts.
Intervention and Applied Approaches
91. Adele Diamond (b. 1952)
Neuroscientist whose research has established effective approaches for promoting executive function development, particularly through specialized curricula, mindfulness practices, and physical activities that engage regulatory processes.
92. Michelle Greenberg (b. 1961)
Prevention scientist whose research and development of social-emotional learning programs has established effective approaches for enhancing self-regulation in school contexts, particularly through PATHS and other evidence-based curricula.
93. Walter Mischel (1930-2018)
Psychologist whose hot/cool systems framework informed practical strategies for enhancing delay of gratification through cognitive transformation strategies (changing mental representations to reduce temptation).
94. Stephanie Jones (b. 1971)
Prevention scientist whose ECSEL (Emotional Cognitive Social Early Learning) approach has established effective interventions for supporting young children’s self-regulation development, particularly in educational contexts serving disadvantaged populations.
95. Sandra Aamodt (b. 1964)
Neuroscientist whose research and public engagement has addressed applications of self-regulation research to health behaviors, particularly challenging simplistic willpower approaches to eating regulation.
96. Angela Duckworth (b. 1970)
Psychologist whose research on grit and self-control has established relationships between regulatory capabilities and achievement, developing measurement approaches and interventions to enhance perseverance for long-term goals.
97. David Yeager (b. 1982)
Psychologist whose research on mindset interventions has established scalable approaches for enhancing adolescents’ academic self-regulation through brief, targeted interventions addressing beliefs about intelligence and belonging.
98. Lisa Damour (b. 1969)
Clinical psychologist whose work has translated self-regulation research into practical guidance for parents and educators supporting adolescent development, particularly addressing emotional regulation in girls.
99. Kelly McGonigal (b. 1977)
Health psychologist whose work has translated willpower research into practical approaches for the general public, particularly addressing stress, health behaviors, and compassionate self-regulation.
100. Laurence Steinberg (b. 1952)
Developmental psychologist whose research on adolescent brain development has established neurobiological foundations for age-related patterns in self-regulation, with implications for education, parenting, and juvenile justice policy.
Conclusion
Self-regulation represents a core capacity that underlies successful functioning across domains of human development and experience. The 100 influential individuals highlighted in this article have collectively transformed our understanding of how people regulate their thoughts, emotions, behavior, and motivation to achieve goals and adapt to changing circumstances. From foundational theories establishing basic regulatory mechanisms to applied approaches enhancing self-regulatory capabilities across contexts, these researchers have illuminated both universal processes and individual differences in regulatory functioning. As research continues to advance through increasingly sophisticated methods and integrative approaches, the work of these influential figures provides a foundation for understanding and supporting human self-regulation across the lifespan and in diverse contexts.
