Abstract
A life well-lived requires a careful balance between short-term and long-term reward, between a choice for convenience and expenditure of effort, and between letting go and taking control. By keeping higher goals in mind, people are able to resist an excess of leisure in favor of personal growth, for example, but also to give in to the pleasure of a well-earned vacation. That is, throughout life, people need to flexibly adapt their control. This thesis focuses on the question how emotion and motivation regulate this adaptation. (Author/publisher) This electronic copy of this thesis does not yet include unpublished chapters under embargo.