A new perspective on the interplay between self-control and cognitive performance: Modeling progressive depletion patterns

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.

The need for self-control in achievement tests: Changes in students’ state self-control capacity and effort investment

“…As expected, trait self-control positively predicted students' effort investment during the testing session. This result is in line with the findings of Lindner et al (2017). In their study, students with high trait self-control tended to invest more time-on-task throughout achievement tests and reported higher levels of test-taking motivation and effort than students with lower trait self-control.…”

“…This suggests that high trait self-control supports students' test-taking effort and might be necessary in order for them to be able to initiate controlled information processing when working on problem-solving and reasoning tasks during achievement tests in mathematics and science. Thus, the assumption that trait self-control constitutes an effort investment trait is supported by our data (Duckworth et al, 2015;Lindner et al, 2017).…”

“…Whereas Muraven, Collins, Shiffman and Paty (2005) found that individuals with high trait self-control were less affected by situational self-control demands and it was hypothesized that they had a larger pool of the mental capacities needed for the exertion of self-control, Stillman, Tice, Fincham and Lambert (2009) found that trait self-control did not have any effect on the relation between state selfcontrol capacity and performance. More recent studies (Imhoff, Schmidt, & Gerstenberg, 2014;Lindner et al, 2017) even found that high trait self-control might be negatively related to individuals' state self-control capacity. If this is the case, it could be expected that trait selfcontrol induces detrimental rather than protective effects on changes in state self-control capacity over time.…”

“…Trait selfcontrol is also assumed to be positively related to persistence in self-controlled behavior (Schmeichel & Zell, 2007) and has been described as an effort investment trait (Duckworth, Eichstaedt, & Ungar, 2015). Lindner et al (2017) found that trait self-control was positively related to the amount of effort and time-on-task that students invested in order to solve items over the course of an achievement test in mathematics. Therefore, we assume trait self-control to be positively related to students' invested test-taking effort.…”

The effect of ego depletion or mental fatigue on subsequent physical endurance performance: A meta-analysis

“…handgrip task) (Muraven et al, 1998). Importantly, self-control can also be conceptualized as a trait (Tangney, Baumeister, & Boone, 2004) and individuals high in self-control are supposedly less prone to ego depletion (Muraven et al, 2005; but see also Lindner, Nagy, Ramos Arhuis, & Retelsdorf, 2017). In ego depletion research, the first task is usually called the primary task or the ego depletion task.…”