How to Enhance Motivation to Exert Self-control : Importance of Self-control Goals

Abstract

Self-control – the capacity to modify one’s behavior – is an essential capability in society and in the workplace. This study proposes a possible self-control depleted-but-driven effect through three studies that investigated the extent to which resource depletion influences motivation to exert self-control. In Study 1, depleted participants heightened their self-control motivation to perform a persistence task. Studies 2 and 3 investigated two important boundary conditions. Specifically, Study 2 demonstrated that depletion boosts self-control motivation only when one’s self-control goals are under threat. Study 3 showed that the depleted-but-driven effect occurs only when people value long-term outcomes. The last two studies suggest that self-control goals are important factors for enhancing the motivation to exert self-control after resource depletion.