The Strength Model of Self-Control

Abstract

Self-control allows us to volitionally regulate our impulses or immediate desires in order to achieve more desirable long-term goals. However, exerting control over the self does not always work efficiently. For instance, going to the gym might be harder after a stressful day at work during which I had to force myself to keep working on rather challenging or frustrating tasks. The strength model of self-control assumes that there is only a limited amount of self-control strength available at a given point of time: If I had to control myself, my self-control resources can become temporarily depleted and I am less adept at exerting self-control in subsequent tasks, making task failure more likely. The present chapter introduces the basic theoretical assumptions of the strength model and presents findings of the so-called ego depletion on sports-related performance. Furthermore, the strengths and weaknesses of the strength model on a theoretical and a practical level will be discussed. Finally, alternative self-control models as well as practical recommendations on how to improve self-control performance in sport and exercise settings will be presented.