No ego-depletion effect without a good control task

Mangin, Thomas; André, Nathalie; Benraiss, Abdelrhani; Pageaux, Benjamin; Audiffren, Michel

doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.102033

Cited by 28 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…An interesting observation of this study was the increase in subjective feelings of MF in the control task over time. Mangin et al [ 64 ] recently emphasized the importance of a good control task, showing that unsuited tasks increase the MF/ego depletion effect, which in turn might cause an insignificant effect of condition in different studies. The results of the present study show that the documentary increased the subjective MF experience, while there was no detectable effect of condition on the behavioural manipulation checks, and there were no significant differences in mental workload between the different conditions after the experimental/control task.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Fatigue-Associated Decrease in Table Tennis Performance: Is There an Electrophysiological Signature?

Habay

Proost

Wachter

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Mental fatigue (MF) is a psychobiological state negatively impacting both cognitive and physical performance. Although recent research implies that some table tennis (TT) performance outcomes are impaired by MF, open skill sports such as TT require a more detailed overview of MF-related performance decrements. Moreover, research into MF and sport-specific psychomotor performance lacks the inclusion of brain-related measurements to identify MF mechanisms. Eleven experienced TT players participated in this randomized counterbalanced crossover trial. Participants were either required to perform an individualized Stroop task (MF condition) or watch a documentary (control condition). The primary outcomes were reaction time on a sport-specific visuomotor task and EEG activity throughout the trial. The subjective feeling of MF was significantly different between both conditions and confirmed that the MF condition induced the mentally fatigue state of participants (p < 0.001), though no behavioral indicators (i.e., decrease in performance on Stroop and flanker task) of MF. MF worsened reaction time on the visuomotor task, while other secondary measurements remained largely ambiguous. Spectral power (i.e., decreases in upper α band and θ band) was influenced by MF, while ERPs measured during the visuomotor task remained unaltered. The present study confirms that MF negatively impacts table tennis performance, specifically inhibitory stimuli during the visuomotor task. These findings also further augment our understanding of the effects of MF on human performance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Fatigue-Associated Decrease in Table Tennis Performance: Is There an Electrophysiological Signature?

Habay

Proost

Wachter

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Thus, monitoring the temporal dynamics of the volitional challenges a task imposes is critical, as it enables to dynamically and flexibly account for such changes and to adaptively respond to them (i.e., in the former case, the athlete might reduce the self-control demands by practicing throws closer to the basket and in the latter case by re-emphasizing the meaningfulness of perfecting the free throw stroke). Indeed, recent work supports the proposition that boredom can necessitate self-control, thereby rendering a presumably effortless task self-control demanding instead (Mangin et al, 2021). We believe that further unraveling how such sensations interact during goal striving will not only be of great theoretical relevance but also help practitioners in supporting professional and recreational athletes to achieve their sports-related goals.…”

Section: Editorial: Volition In Sportmentioning

confidence: 64%

On the Past, Present and Future of Volition Research in Sports

Wolff

Englert

2021

Zeitschrift für Sportpsychologie

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“…Indeed, in a high-powered experimental study, Milyavskaya et al [ 14 ] showed that performing an easy but boring task created sensations of fatigue that could even outweigh the fatigue that is experienced by performing a supposedly more challenging task that was designed to require effortful control. More relevant for the sports and exercise context, this finding was conceptually replicated in a recent study, showing that completing either a boring or a control demanding first task did not differentially affect performance in a handgrip endurance task that was completed afterwards [ 15 ]. Thus, being bored, or having to complete a control demanding task, appeared to have similar effects on performance in a subsequent effortful physical task.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…Moreover, the magnitude of boredom’s effects sometimes even outweighs those that are induced by tasks that are designed to require willpower or effortful control. With respect to sports and exercise, recent work demonstrates that boredom matters when it comes to understanding how much people exercise [ 5 ] and how well they perform in physically demanding tasks [ 15 ]. Crucially, the aforementioned studies refer to samples drawn from the general population and investigate if boredom can potentially deter people from engaging in sports at all, and how it can alter performance in a standardized physical effort task in the lab.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

24 Hours on the Run—Does Boredom Matter for Ultra-Endurance Athletes’ Crises?

Weich

Schüler

Wolff

2022

IJERPH

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Sport and exercise can be boring. In the general population, thinking of sports as boring has been linked to exercising less. However, less is known about the role of boredom in people who participate in ultra-endurance competitions: Do these athletes also associate their sports with boredom, and does boredom pose a self-regulatory challenge that predicts if they encounter a crisis during an ultra-endurance competition? Here, we investigate these questions with a sample of N = 113 (n = 34 female) competitors of a 24 h hour running competition, aged M = 37.6 ± 13.8 years. In this study, n = 23 very extreme athletes competed as single starters or in a relay team of 2, and n = 84 less extreme athletes competed in relay teams of 4 or 6. Before the run, athletes completed self-report measures on sport-specific trait boredom, as well as the degree to which they expected boredom, pain, effort, and willpower to constitute self-regulatory challenges they would have to cope with. After the run, athletes reported the degree to which they actually had to deal with these self-regulatory challenges and if they had faced an action crisis during the competition. Analyses revealed that very extreme athletes displayed a significantly lower sport-specific trait boredom than less extreme athletes (p = 0.024, d = −0.48). With respect to self-regulatory challenges, willpower, pain, and effort were expected and reported at a much higher rate than boredom. However, only boredom was as a significant predictor of experiencing a crisis during the competition (odds ratio = 12.5, p = 0.02). Our results show that boredom also matters for highly active athletes. The fact that the experience of boredom—and not more prototypical competition-induced challenges, such as pain or effort—were linked to having an action crisis highlights the relevance of incorporating boredom into the preparation for a race and to the performance management during competition.

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No ego-depletion effect without a good control task

Cited by 28 publications

References 90 publications

Mental Fatigue-Associated Decrease in Table Tennis Performance: Is There an Electrophysiological Signature?

Mental Fatigue-Associated Decrease in Table Tennis Performance: Is There an Electrophysiological Signature?

On the Past, Present and Future of Volition Research in Sports

24 Hours on the Run—Does Boredom Matter for Ultra-Endurance Athletes’ Crises?

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