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Self-control depletion impairs goal maintenance: A meta-analysis.
Junhua Dang1, Fredrik Björklund1, Martin Bäckström1
1Department of Psychology, Lund University, Sweden.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
|June 21, 2017
Summary
Initial self-control exertion impairs goal maintenance, a key aspect of self-regulation. This ego depletion effect may stem from reduced motivation rather than impaired response competition, suggesting a switch cost model.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Ego depletion theory posits that initial self-control impairs subsequent regulatory performance.
- The underlying cognitive mechanisms of ego depletion remain under-examined.
- Dual-process theories of executive control offer a framework for understanding these mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific cognitive processes affected by initial self-control exertion.
- To examine the impact of ego depletion on goal maintenance and response competition capacities.
- To evaluate findings against recent theoretical perspectives on ego depletion.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was conducted on studies examining the effects of initial self-control exertion.
- Cognitive capacities related to task goal maintenance were assessed.
- Cognitive capacities related to resolving response competition were assessed.
Main Results:
- Initial self-control exertion was found to impair participants' capacity for maintaining the task goal.
- The effect of initial self-control exertion on resolving response competition requires further investigation.
- Results align with theoretical views of ego depletion as a switch cost.
Conclusions:
- Ego depletion primarily impacts the ability to maintain task goals.
- Reduced motivation to engage in further self-control may explain the ego depletion effect.
- Findings support a switch cost model over other explanations for ego depletion.
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