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

Dang, Junhua LU ; Björklund, Fredrik LU orcid and Bäckström, Martin LU (2017) In Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 58(4). p.284-293
Abstract

Initial exertion of self-control has been suggested to impair subsequent self-regulatory performance. The specific cognitive processes that underlie this ego depletion effect have rarely been examined. Drawing on the dual-process theory of executive control (Engle & Kane, ; Kane & Engle, ), the current meta-analysis revealed that initial self-control exertion impairs participants' capacities of maintaining the task goal but its effect on capacities of resolving response competition is in need of further investigation. Our results are more consistent with recent theoretical views that consider ego depletion as a switch cost and a result arising from reduced motivation to engage in further self-control.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Competition resolution, Ego depletion, Goal maintenance, Self-control
in
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
volume
58
issue
4
pages
284 - 293
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85021275805
  • pmid:28632357
  • wos:000405733300003
ISSN
0036-5564
DOI
10.1111/sjop.12371
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c6de8009-8993-4e84-8b89-e11713bb3c47
date added to LUP
2017-07-12 13:52:04
date last changed
2025-01-07 17:05:13
@article{c6de8009-8993-4e84-8b89-e11713bb3c47,
  abstract     = {{<p>Initial exertion of self-control has been suggested to impair subsequent self-regulatory performance. The specific cognitive processes that underlie this ego depletion effect have rarely been examined. Drawing on the dual-process theory of executive control (Engle &amp; Kane, ; Kane &amp; Engle, ), the current meta-analysis revealed that initial self-control exertion impairs participants' capacities of maintaining the task goal but its effect on capacities of resolving response competition is in need of further investigation. Our results are more consistent with recent theoretical views that consider ego depletion as a switch cost and a result arising from reduced motivation to engage in further self-control.</p>}},
  author       = {{Dang, Junhua and Björklund, Fredrik and Bäckström, Martin}},
  issn         = {{0036-5564}},
  keywords     = {{Competition resolution; Ego depletion; Goal maintenance; Self-control}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{284--293}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Psychology}},
  title        = {{Self-control depletion impairs goal maintenance : A meta-analysis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12371}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/sjop.12371}},
  volume       = {{58}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}