Self-Control Performance Enhances Self-Control Performance at Similar Tasks

KUL Working Paper No. OR 0608

38 Pages Posted: 16 Nov 2006

See all articles by Siegfried Dewitte

Siegfried Dewitte

KU Leuven - Faculty of Business and Economics (FEB)

Sabrina Bruyneel

Carnegie Mellon University - David A. Tepper School of Business

Kelly Geyskens

KU Leuven - Faculty of Business and Economics (FEB)

Date Written: 2006

Abstract

In this paper we claim that the well-established reduction in self-control performance following prior exertion of self-control (the so-called ego depletion effect) is a consequence of people's adaptation to situational demands. Consistent with this claim that follows from cognitive control theory, we show that (1) self-control performance improves during tasks that are typically used as resource depletion tasks and that (2) typical depletion effects occur only when the nature of the response conflicts in the two subsequent tasks is different. When the nature of the response conflicts in the two subsequent tasks is similar, we found that exerting self-control improves subsequent self-control performance. Implications for the self-control strength model are drawn and avenues for future research are sketched.

Keywords: Claim, Cognitive, Control, Control theory, Demand, Effects, Ego depletion, Implications, Model, Performance, Research, Self-control, Theory

Suggested Citation

Dewitte, Siegfried and Bruyneel, Sabrina and Geyskens, Kelly, Self-Control Performance Enhances Self-Control Performance at Similar Tasks (2006). KUL Working Paper No. OR 0608, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=944394 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.944394

Siegfried Dewitte (Contact Author)

KU Leuven - Faculty of Business and Economics (FEB) ( email )

Naamsestraat 69
Leuven, B-3000
Belgium

Sabrina Bruyneel

Carnegie Mellon University - David A. Tepper School of Business ( email )

5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
United States

Kelly Geyskens

KU Leuven - Faculty of Business and Economics (FEB) ( email )

Naamsestraat 69
Leuven, B-3000
Belgium

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