(How) Does Initial Self-Control Undermine Later Self-Control in Daily Life?

Abstract

Past research suggests that self-control lapses occur more frequently following demanding experiences in daily life. However, the reason for these effects is debated. Three studies were therefore conducted to better understand self-control lapses. Exploratory analyses were conducted in Study 1 to identify possible effects. Studies 2 and 3 evaluated these effects' reliability. Two patterns were identified. First, initial desire-goal conflict predicted later increases in subjective fatigue. This was in turn related to less effective self-control attempts. Second, initial self-control attempts also led participants to enact desires more frequently. This latter effect occurred even when (and perhaps especially when) those later desires were not resisted. In contrast, the strength model of self-control did not receive support, as initial self-control attempts did not affect the success of subsequent self-control attempts. These studies therefore suggest initial self-control does play an important role in producing later self-control lapses-just a different role than predicted by the strength model.

Recruitment of cognitive control regions during effortful self-control is associated with altered brain activity in control and reward systems in dieters during subsequent exposure to food commercials

“…Indeed, the effects observed here in the appetitive domain are consistent with other studies that have showed reductions in activity in prefrontal cortex—and accompanying task deficits in various cognitive tasks—following self-control exertion (Friese et al, 2013; Luethi et al, 2016; e.g., Persson, Larsson & Reuter-Lorenz, 2013). The present findings are also consistent with predictions made by models emphasizing the role of self-regulatory fatigue in affecting self-control outcomes (Evans, Boggero & Segerstrom, 2015; Hofmann et al, 2012; Wilkowski et al, 2018), and those that highlight the limitations of cognitive control processes more broadly (Shenhav et al, 2017).…”

“…Most recently, the consensus appears to be that the available evidence, in favor of and/or against self-regulatory depletion effects, is inconclusive (Friese et al, 2018). However, a recent pre-registered study with large samples (Ns ≥ 377) has shown reliable effects consistent with an attentional-based account of depletion (Garrison, Finley & Schmeichel, 2018), and studies using more ecologically valid designs have provided supporting evidence for the role of self-regulatory fatigue in precipitating self-control failures in daily life (Hofmann et al, 2012; Wilkowski et al, 2018), suggesting, perhaps, that focusing on more ecologically valid and appetitive behaviors (such as dieting failures) may provide better traction on the underlying phenomena.…”

Integrating Models of Self-Regulation

“…We now wonder, though, if conflict has been overemphasized, if the near exclusive focus on conflict by many models has been to the field's detriment. We ask because new work suggests that the biggest drag on goal attainment is not the inability to resolve conflict (i.e., lack of self-control), but the presence of conflicting desires and temptations to begin with (Milyavskaya & Inzlicht, 2017; see also, Wilkowski, Ferguson, Williamson, & Lappi, 2018). Once conflict is present, in other words, successful self-control in the moment does not necessarily translate to successful self-regulation in the end.…”

The Relations Among Affect-Related Personality Traits, Mood, Temptation and Academic Procrastination in Everyday Life

“…Along the same lines, Wilkowski, Ferguson, Williamson and Lappi (2018) conducted an experience-sampling study on self-control in which they found that earlier exertion of self-control led to more enactment of later desires. However, this increase in desire enactment was not due to failure to exert self-control, but rather the absence of later self-control attempts.…”

“…Put simply, individuals were unwilling rather than unable to exert self-control following earlier self-control effort. Accordingly, the pursuit of momentary pleasure was a matter of choice rather than a lapse in volitional control (Wilkowski et al, 2018).…”