Abstract
Although ego depletion effects have been widely observed in experiments in which participants perform consecutive self-control tasks, the process of ego depletion remains poorly understood. Using the strength model of self-control, we hypothesized that chronic ego depletion adversely affects goal adherence and that mental effort and motivation are involved in the process of ego depletion. In this study, 203 students reported their daily performance, mental effort, and motivation with respect to goal directed behavior across a 3-week time period. People with high levels of chronic ego depletion were less successful in goal adherence than those with less chronic ego depletion. Although daily effort devoted to goal adherence increased with chronic ego depletion, motivation to adhere to goals was not affected. Participants with high levels of chronic ego depletion showed a stronger positive association between mental effort and performance, but chronic ego depletion did not play a regulatory role in the effect of motivation on performance. Chronic ego depletion increased the likelihood of behavior regulation failure, suggesting that it is difficult for people in an ego-depletion state to adhere to goals. We integrate our results with the findings of previous studies and discuss possible theoretical implications.
Highlights
The capacity for self-regulation is essential to many aspects of life, from individual concerns such as diet and bodily exercise to social concerns such as inhibiting addictive behavior and avoiding violence
We examined whether performance was predicted by daily mental effort and motivation and whether these predictive effects were regulated by chronic ego depletion
Most previous studies have focused on acute ego depletion effects in consecutive self-control tasks [5], but few studies have explored chronic ego depletion inside or outside the laboratory
Summary
The capacity for self-regulation is essential to many aspects of life, from individual concerns such as diet and bodily exercise to social concerns such as inhibiting addictive behavior and avoiding violence. Research suggests that weakened control mechanisms caused by recent assertions of self-control increase the likelihood of self-control failure [4]. Baumeister and his colleagues developed a strength model of self-control to explain selfcontrol failure [1]. A key assumption of this model is that self-control consumes a portion of one’s limited “resources” for self-control, and when these resources are depleted, the capacity for further self-regulation is reduced. Support for the strength model has been obtained in PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0142220 November 12, 2015
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