Tracking Self-Control - Task Performance and Pupil Size in a Go/No-Go Inhibition Task

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Operationalizing and testing self-control remains a challenge.
• Existing research lacks studies on the temporal dynamics of self-control exertion.
• Varied assessment methods contribute to a limited understanding of self-control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare behavioral, subjective, and physiological indicators during self-control tasks.
• To investigate temporal dynamics of self-control exertion.
• To examine the relationship between different measures of self-control.

Main Methods:

• Participants completed an inhibitory control task (Go/No-Go) and a control task (two-choice task).
• Behavioral performance and pupil size were measured during tasks.
• Subjective vitality was assessed pre- and post-task.

Main Results:

• Pupil size and subjective vitality showed similar patterns across both tasks.
• Behavioral performance declined in the inhibitory control task but not the control task.
• Behavioral, subjective, and physiological measures were not significantly correlated.

Conclusions:

• There is a notable disconnect between various measures of self-control.
• High intra- and interindividual variability exists in self-control assessment.
• Findings have implications for self-control theory and future research methodologies.