Whilst attempting to bolster inhibitory control may ultimately lead to a novel, effective method of treatment for substance use disorders, it is imperative that individuals are motivated to change their behavior. Many current treatments such as motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy aim to increase the motivation to change substance use behavior, and furnish patients with the skills needed to bring about and then maintain this behavior change (108, 109). As well as motivation to change behavior (i.e., exercise restraint), individuals’ beliefs about their ability to inhibit their behavior may be important not only in terms of their substance use but also in terms of the applicability of these proposed interventions. Whilst it is generally acknowledged that having some confidence in the ability to control substance use is likely to increase the chances of maintaining abstinence, the evidence that this plays a major role is rather weak (110) and indeed, excessive self-efficacy (“over-confidence”) may be detrimental to the chances of long-term success (111). Over-confident individuals may exhibit a “restraint bias,” whereby unrealistic beliefs about the ability to control substance-seeking behavior
