Adapting to an initial self-regulatory task cancels the ego depletion effect

Self‐control depletion impairs goal maintenance: A meta‐analysis

“…Instead, because goal maintenance is highly dependent on motivation (e.g., Frober & Dreisbach, 2014), our findings are consistent with recent theoretical advances proposing that ego depletion mainly arises from reduced motivation to engage in further self-control (Inzlicht & Schmeichel, 2012;Inzlicht, Schmeichel & Macrae, 2014). Meanwhile, since cognition residue after the initial task may interfere with goal maintenance in a subsequent task (Leroy, 2009), our findings are also in line with a cognitive account which treats ego depletion as a switch cost when people switch from the first to the second task (Dang, Dewitte, Mao, Xiao & Shi, 2013;Dewitte, Bruyneel & Geyskens, 2009). Indeed, researchers suggest the motivational process and the cognitive process may work in parallel to lead to ego depletion (Dang, Xiao & Dewitte, 2014).…”

Action orientation overcomes the ego depletion effect

“…According to the cognitive control theory, ego depletion can be seen as a phenomenon similar to the “switch costs” (Kiesel, Steinhauser, Wendt et al ., ), as the control processes being recruited to adapt to the first self‐control task linger and hinder adaptation to the subsequent task which relies on different control processes (Botvinick, Braver, Barch, Carter & Cohen, ; Dewitte, Bruyneel & Geyskens, ). Based on this theory, it has been demonstrated that ego depletion disappeared when people had enough time to adapt to the depleting task (Dang et al ., ). In the current experiment, the smaller Stroop interference effect exhibited by participants with action orientation suggests that they can adapt faster than state‐oriented participants to the depleting task.…”

“…This is consistent with Dang et al . 's () proposition that partial adaptation to the depleting task may suffice to free control processes for unhindered recruitment in the following task. The mediation analysis in this paper suggests a more nuanced mechanism, such that the more individuals adapt to the depleting task, the less likely the control processes recruited in this task will hinder the control processes required during the subsequent concentration task.…”

Self-control depletion is more than motivational switch from work to fun: the indispensable role of cognitive adaptation

“…Consistent with this implication, recent research showed that adapting to either the first task (Dang et al, 2013) or the second task (Barutchu et al, 2013) removed the depletion effect without rest or additional motivation. Further, there was also evidence showing a negative correlation between the adaptation level and the depletion effect even when the time for adaptation was limited, such that the more respondents adapted to the first task, the less errors they made on the second task (Dang et al, 2013). …”