Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Self-Regulation

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Changes in Arterial-Alveolar Oxygen Gradient and Mixed Venous Oxygen Saturations in Mechanical Thrombectomy for Pulmonary Embolism: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Pulmonary circulation·2026

Same author

Examining the associations of self-control with physical fitness, cardiometabolic health, and well-being in young people aged 9-13 years.

Frontiers in cognition·2026

Same author

Chronological age and biological maturity are separately positively associated with inhibitory control and working memory in boys and girls.

Frontiers in cognition·2026

Same author

Medication discontinuation in the era of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor: an Australian survey and qualitative interview.

Internal medicine journal·2026

Same author

Acute Effects of Adding Self-Control Tasks to the Daily Mile on Subsequent Cognition and Enjoyment in Children.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Family-Based Tag Rugby: Acute Effects on Risk Factors for Cardiometabolic Disease and Cognition and Factors Affecting Family Enjoyment and Feasibility.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

Manipulation of the Duration of the Initial Self-Control Task Within the Sequential-Task Paradigm: Effect on Exercise

Ruth Boat¹, Raymon Hunte¹, Emily Welsh¹

¹Sport, Health, and Performance Enhancement Research Centre, Department of Sport Science, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Frontiers in Neuroscience

|November 2, 2020

Summary

Longer self-control tasks impair physical performance by increasing pain and reducing motivation. This study found extended self-control exertion negatively impacts subsequent physical endurance and perceived exertion.

Keywords:

Stroop task ego depletion motivation pain physical performance

More Related Videos

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents

Published on: August 10, 2014

Revised and Neuroimaging-Compatible Versions of the Dual Task Screen

Revised and Neuroimaging-Compatible Versions of the Dual Task Screen

Published on: October 5, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents

Published on: August 10, 2014

Revised and Neuroimaging-Compatible Versions of the Dual Task Screen

Revised and Neuroimaging-Compatible Versions of the Dual Task Screen

Published on: October 5, 2020

Area of Science:

Psychology
Exercise Physiology
Cognitive Science

Background:

Self-control exertion on an initial task can impair subsequent physical performance.
This impairment is thought to be linked to altered pain perception and motivation.
The impact of the duration of initial self-control exertion on these factors remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how the duration of an initial self-control task affects subsequent physical performance.
To examine the influence of initial self-control task duration on pain perception and motivation during a physical task.
To explore the early-stage changes in pain and motivation during physical exertion following self-control tasks.

Main Methods:

A within-subject design was used with 29 participants.
Participants completed a wall-sit task to volitional exhaustion after four conditions: a non-self-control task (4 min) or self-control tasks of short (4 min), medium (8 min), or long (16 min) duration.
Pain and motivation were recorded every 30 seconds during the wall-sit; performance time was measured.

Main Results:

Longer self-control exertion durations led to significantly shorter wall-sit performance times.
Initial pain perception (at 30s) increased and motivation decreased with longer self-control task durations.
The decline in motivation during the wall-sit was more pronounced with longer initial self-control exertions.

Conclusions:

Extended self-control exertion has a dose-dependent detrimental effect on subsequent physical performance.
Increased pain perception and reduced motivation, particularly early in the physical task, mediate performance decrements.
These findings highlight the role of attentional and motivational shifts in performance limitations after self-control depletion.