Abstract
Abundant behavioral evidence suggests that the ability to self-control is limited, and that any exertion of self-control will increase the likelihood of subsequent self-control failures. Here we investigated the neural correlates underlying the aftereffects of self-control on future control processes using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). An initial act of self-control (suppressing emotions) impaired subsequent performance in a second task requiring control (Stroop task). On the neural level, increased activity during emotion suppression was followed by a relative decrease in activity during the Stroop task in a cluster in the right lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), an area engaged in the effortful implementation of control. There was no reliable evidence for reduced activity in the medial frontal cortex (MFC) including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is involved in conflict detection processes and has previously also been implicated in self-control. Follow-up analyses showed that the detected cluster in the right lateral PFC and an area in the MFC were involved in both the emotion suppression task and the Stroop task, but only the cluster in the right lateral PFC showed reduced activation after emotion suppression during the Stroop task. Reduced activity in lateral prefrontal areas relevant for the implementation of control may be a critical consequence of prior self-control exertion if the respective areas are involved in both self-control tasks.
Highlights
The ability to control one’s impulses, emotions, thoughts and action tendencies is crucial for living in line with personal standards and social norms
Applied to the neural level, these findings suggest decreased activity after self-control exertion than after a task not requiring self-control in brain areas that are typically engaged in the effortful implementation of control, but less so in brain areas engaged in presumably effortless processes such as conflict detection [16]
Main Behavioral Results Participants’ average response latency explained significant variance in several analyses involving the Stroop task. We controlled for this variable in all analyses involving error rates in the Stroop task
Summary
The ability to control one’s impulses, emotions, thoughts and action tendencies is crucial for living in line with personal standards and social norms. Self-control can be defined as the ability to interrupt and override dominant response tendencies and replace them with different responses that are in line with current goals, personal standards, and social norms [3]. After initial acts of self-control such as the control of attention, thoughts, or emotions, individuals showed decrements in control in that they reacted more aggressively to a provocation, ate more of a tempting snack, engaged in riskier behavior, and performed more poorly on executive function tasks [6,8,9,10]. An initial exertion of self-control does not impair performance on any subsequent task, but on those tasks requiring effort and control [11]
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