Manipulation of the Duration of the Initial Self-Control Task Within the Sequential-Task Paradigm: Effect on Exercise Performance

Abstract

Self-control exertion on an initial task has been associated with impaired performance on subsequent physical tasks also requiring self-control; an effect suggested to be mediated by changes in perceptions of pain and motivation. However, the effects of spending longer on the initial self-control task are unknown. This study, therefore, explored the potential for the duration of the initial self-control task to influence subsequent physical performance, perceptions of pain, and perceived motivation; particularly during the early stages of the physical task. In a within-subject design, 29 participants (11 male, 18 female) completed a wall-sit task until volitional exhaustion, on four separate occasions. Prior to each wall-sit, participants completed either a non-self-control task (congruent Stroop task) for 4 min, or a self-control task (incongruent Stroop task) for 4 (short duration), 8 (medium duration), or 16 (long duration) min. Participant’s perceptions of pain and motivation were recorded every 30 s during the wall-sit. Wall-sit performance time was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and perceptions of pain and motivation analyzed using multi-level modeling. Wall-sit performance time was significantly longer on the non-self-control exertion trial compared to all other trials (all p < 0.01), as well as longer on both the short duration and medium duration self-control exertion trials compared to the long duration self-control exertion trial (both p < 0.001). Perceptions of initial (at 30 s) pain and motivation were different between the trials (main effect of trial: pain, p = 0.001; motivation, p < 0.001); whereby longer durations of self-control exertion increased perceptions of pain and decreased motivation. The decrease in motivation during the wall-sit task was greater on the long duration self-control exertion trial compared to all other trials (trial ∗ time interactions, all p < 0.05). The present study provides novel evidence that spending longer on the initial self-control task led to greater detrimental effects on subsequent wall-sit performance time. Furthermore, longer duration self-control exertion tasks led to increased perceptions of pain and decreased motivation within the first 30 s of the wall-sit task, as well as a greater decrease in motivation across the wall-sit task. These attentional and motivational shifts may explain performance decrements following the exertion of self-control.

Again, No Evidence for or Against the Existence of Ego Depletion: Opinion on “A Multi-Site Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego Depletion Effect”

“…In general, it has to be acknowledged that there is no broad consensus which tasks are valid self-control tasks and how long self-control needs to be invested in a given task in order to actually induce ego depletion [see also Englert ( 2017 ), e.g., Boat et al ( 2020 )]. For instance, it remains unclear how long a Stroop task should ideally last or how many trials it should contain (e.g., Wolff et al, 2021 ).…”

A Primer on the Role of Boredom in Self-Controlled Sports and Exercise Behavior

“…One very likely reason for this research gap is that research from sports and exercise has primarily focused on the self-control demands of completing effortful and difficult tasks, like performing a sprint start ( Englert et al, 2015 ), persisting for as long as possible in an endurance task ( Boat et al, 2020 ), or adhering to an exercise regimen ( Englert and Rummel, 2016 ). This focus makes intuitive sense, since self-control is per definition linked to the notion of effort ( de Ridder et al, 2012 ).…”

Testing the Effects of a Preceding Self-Control Task on Decision-Making in Soccer Refereeing

“…We would also like to address the fact that the depletion condition took significantly longer to finish the Stroop task than the control condition. This matter seems especially important, as a recent study by Boat et al (2020) revealed that longer Stroop task durations were related to lower performance in a subsequent self-control task. However, in the current study we did not find an effect of the different Stroop task durations on the veracity ratings.…”