Abstract
Exerting self-control in a first task weakens self-control performance in a subsequent unrelated task (ego depletion). In self-control research new strategies are required to investigate the ego-depletion effect, which has recently been shown to be more fragile than previously assumed. Moreover, the relation between ego depletion and trait self-control is still unclear, as various studies have reported heterogeneous findings concerning the interplay of both variables. We addressed these lacunas by drawing on a sample of N = 120 students, who participated in two test sessions. In the first test session, we assessed trait self-control and several control variables. The second test session followed an experimental design and tested the effects of ego depletion on invested effort and cognitive performance trajectories in an ecologically valid computer-based assessment setting (i.e., a 30-minute mathematical problem-solving and reasoning test). Trait self-control was then used as a moderator of the ego-depletion effect. Combining an established ego-depletion paradigm (i.e., the sequential-task paradigm) with multilevel modeling of time-on-task and performance changes, our results indicate (1) that trait self-control predicted the motivation to solve cognitive tasks, (2) that ego depletion led to a progressive performance decrease, and (3) that the negative effect of ego depletion on performance was stronger for students with high trait self-control. Additional analyses revealed that our results could not be alternatively explained by fatigue effects. All effects were robust even after controlling for the students’ cognitive abilities, which are known to be closely related to mathematical performance. Our results provide evidence that the self-control invested in order to keep performance at a consistently high level wanes over time. By modeling progressive ego-depletion effects while considering trait self-control, we provide an alternative approach that may help future researchers to investigate the underlying mechanisms of self-control.
Highlights
Self-control refers to the cognitive processes that enable people to override, inhibit or modify their impulses, thoughts, emotions and behavior and to bring them into line with standards and personally endorsed overarching goals [1,2]
Self-control is necessary in order to be able to consistently direct attention toward relevant information when working on reasoning or mathematics tasks [3, 4], while shielding information processing from interferences such as task-irrelevant thoughts [5]
With the aim of achieving a better understanding of the ego-depletion effect, the present study follows these long-standing calls for a deeper investigation of ego-depletion-dependent processes, such as progressive performance changes that occur when working on tasks that require self-control in order to keep attention focused during information processing (e.g., [8,10]), in an ecologically valid assessment setting, while considering trait self-control as a major predictor of achievement-related outcomes
Summary
Self-control refers to the cognitive processes that enable people to override, inhibit or modify their impulses, thoughts, emotions and behavior and to bring them into line with standards and personally endorsed overarching goals [1,2]. Various experimental studies (for an overview see [3]) found that the exertion of self-control impairs individuals’ performance on subsequent tasks that require self-control or cognitive processing, the underlying mechanisms of this so called ego-depletion effect are still unclear. With the aim of achieving a better understanding of the ego-depletion effect, the present study follows these long-standing calls for a deeper investigation of ego-depletion-dependent processes, such as progressive performance changes that occur when working on tasks that require self-control in order to keep attention focused during information processing (e.g., [8,10]), in an ecologically valid assessment setting, while considering trait self-control as a major predictor of achievement-related outcomes It should be noted that the heterogeneous findings on the interplay between ego depletion and trait self-control (for an overview see [13]) need to be clarified in greater detail [9] in order to gain deeper insights into the underlying mechanisms of self-control
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