Laboratory research shows that when people believe willpower is an abundant (rather than highly limited) resource they exhibit better self-control after demanding tasks. However, some have questioned whether this "nonlimited" theory leads to squandering of resources and worse outcomes in everyday life demands on self-regulation are high. To examine this, we conducted a longitudinal study, assessing students' theories about tracking their academic performance. As hypothesized, nonlimited...

Significance The present research provides critical new findings about the role of glucose ingestion in self-control and cognitive performance. It argues against popular view that depends on a limited physiological resource (blood glucose) is depleted by even brief acts restored consumption. Instead, results highlight beliefs willpower

Past research indicates that peoples' implicit theories about the nature of willpower moderate ego-depletion effect. Only people who believe or were led to is a limited resource (limited-resource theory) showed lower self-control performance after an initial demanding task. As yet, underlying processes explaining this moderating effect by remain unknown. Here, we propose exertion activates goal preserve and replenish mental resources (rest goal) in with limited-resource theory. Five studies...

To date, it is not well understood how individuals disengage from goals. A recent approach suggests that disengagement often preceded by an action crisis, a motivational conflict in which the individual torn between holding on to and letting go of personal goal. We postulate dynamic interplay experience crisis appraisals goal desirability attainability shapes process In two longitudinal studies ( N = 364), complete university degree predicted devaluations its attainability, reversely, low...

Self-control helps to align behavior with long-term goals (e.g., exercising stay fit) and shield it from conflicting hedonic relaxing). Decades of research have shown that self-control is associated numerous positive outcomes, such as well-being. In the present article, we argue goal pursuit equally important for well-being, can undermine in form intrusive thoughts. Study 1, developed a measure trait capacity, which captures people’s success occurrence Studies 2A 2B, capacity relates...

Gamification of cognitive tasks might positively affect emotional-motivational factors (emotional design perspective) or negatively like working memory load (minimalistic perspective). The current study examined the effects gamification in a spatial n-back task on performance, (i.e., and effort), subjective experience. Task was assessed by physiological process measures pupil dilation EEG theta (4-6 Hz) alpha (8-13 frequency band power. achieved elements emotional visual screen using, e.g.,...

Abstract This paper examines the role of hedonic goal pursuit in self-control and self-regulation. We argue that not all immediate pleasure is problematic successful can be beneficial for long-term achieving positive self-regulatory outcomes, such as health well-being. The following two key questions future research are discussed: How people’s affective experiences during enhanced, how exactly do those contribute to outcomes? also call an intercultural perspective linking outcomes at...

Avoidance goals heighten the salience of negative social experiences, and in intimate relationships such an orientation may contribute to communication difficulties perpetuation avoidance. We therefore hypothesized that individuals with stronger avoidance would be particularly prone engage escalating levels their partner, we tested this prediction by conducting sequential analyses on videotaped observational data (28,470 observations) collected from 365 heterosexual couples engaging a...

While most people are aware of the importance sleep for their health, well‐being, and performance, bedtime procrastination is a pervasive phenomenon that can be conceptualized as case self‐control failure (Kroese et al ., Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 2014, 1). Two daily diary studies ( N 1 = 185, 2 137) investigated beliefs about willpower stress interactive predictors procrastination. Beliefs capture whether think limited resource gets easily depleted (limited theory) or something remains...

The literature on serious games and gamification suggests that game elements have a positive influence learning performance in cognitive tasks. However, the mechanisms by which affect these outcomes are not well understood. Building theorizing self-control literature, present research investigated whether change subjective experience of task terms affect, motivational conflict, effort experienced. Further, we tested people with low versus high level benefit more from their performance....

The link between self-control and success in various life domains is often explained by people avoiding hedonic pleasures, such as through inhibition, making the right choices, or using adaptive strategies. We propose an additional explanation: High individuals prefer spending time on meaningful activities rather than pleasurable ones, whereas opposite true for with high trait capacity. In Studies 1a 1b, participants either imagined ( N = 449) actually engaged 231, pre-registered) during...

Abstract Lay theories about willpower—the belief that willpower is a limited versus nonlimited resource—affect self‐control and goal striving in everyday life (Job, Dweck, & Walton, 2010). Three studies examined whether also relate to people's subjective well‐being by shaping the progress they make toward their personal goals. A cross‐sectional (Study 1) two longitudinal (Studies 2 3) measured individuals’ different indicators of well‐being. Additionally, Study 3 progress. theory was...

Research suggests that beliefs about willpower affect self-regulation following previous self-regulatory demands (Job, Dweck, & Walton, 2010). Some people believe their is limited, meaning after a demanding task it needs to be replenished (limited theory). By contrast, others not limited and self-control tasks even activate (nonlimited We hypothesized when experience day predict expected capacity self-regulate actual on the day. In daily diary study (N = 157), we measured students' level of...

Research suggests that self-control, the ability to forego immediate needs for sake of future rewards, promotes health behavior. The present study examined role beliefs about willpower as predictor self-control in context diabetes. Seventy-nine type 2 diabetes patients reported their willpower, therapy adherence (i.e., self-care activities, diet, exercise), and psychological adjustment emotional distress, well-being, life quality). Endorsing belief is a limited versus nonlimited resource was...

People who believe that willpower is not limited exhibit higher self-regulation and well-being than people a resource. So far, only little known about the antecedents of people’s beliefs willpower. Three studies examine whether autonomous goal striving promotes endorsement nonlimited belief this relationship mediated by vitality, feeling being awake energetic. Study 1 ( n = 208) showed predicts change in over 4 months vitality. 2 92) replicated finding using experience sampling assessments...

The authors test the assumption that core of implicit motives is desire for particular affective experiences and motive satisfaction need not be tied to any domain. Using context romantic relationships, cross-sectional Study 1 experimental 2 showed people with a high affiliation were more satisfied when they experienced affiliation-specific affect (calmness relaxation). However, higher power in their relationships power-specific (strength excitement) these relationships. results support idea...

The (over)consumption of alcohol and other addictive substances is often conceptualized as a problem low self-control (i.e., people's inability to inhibit unwanted impulses). According that view, people drink because they cannot resist. In the present studies, we approached this from different perspective tested whether consumption might also be hedonic capacity experience pleasure relaxation, due intrusive thoughts). it helps them enjoy or cope with negative thoughts emotions. two studies...

Negative and positive conflict communication predicts long-term relationship satisfaction. However, some studies show harmful effects others beneficial of negative on One reason for the heterogeneous results might be that most focused aggregated behaviors across a interaction but neglected temporal dynamics within such an interaction. This study examined whether individual initial levels trajectories communications predict satisfaction, self-efficacy beliefs about clarity other’s feelings...

Abstract. Previous research suggests that people’s implicit theories about willpower affect continuous self-control performance in the domain of strenuous mental activities. The present expands these findings to two further domains self-control: resisting temptations and emotion control. In Study 1, participants were either led resist a temptation or not. Participants who believed gets depleted by resistance (limited-resource theory) performed significantly worse subsequent Stroop task...