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Cited by 1,724Behavioral Health and InterventionsNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesGrit, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation

Self-control as a limited resource: Regulatory depletion patterns.

Muraven, Mark, Tice, Dianne M., Baumeister, Roy F.·1998·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
DOI 10.1037/0022-3514.74.3.774
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Abstract

If self-regulation conforms to an energy or strength model, then self-control should be impaired by prior exertion.In Study 1, trying to regulate one's emotional response to an upsetting movie was followed by a decrease in physical stamina.In Study 2, suppressing forbidden thoughts led to a subsequent tendency to give up quickly on unsolvable anagrams.In Study 3, suppressing thoughts impaired subsequent efforts to control the expression of amusement and enjoyment.In Study 4, autobiographical accounts of successful versus failed emotional control linked prior regulatory demands and fatigue to self-regulatory failure.A strength model of self-regulation fits the data better than activation, priming, skill, or constant capacity models of self-regulation.The capacity of the human organism to override, interrupt, and otherwise alter its own responses is one of the most dramatic and impressive functions of human selfhood, with broad implications for a wide range of behavior patterns (Carver & Scheier, 1981;Wegner & Pennebaker, 1993).For example, self-regulation has been associated with crime and criminal behavior (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990), smoking (Russell, 1971), and dieting (Herman & Polivy, 1975).Men with better self-control are less likely to become divorced (Kelly & Conley, 1987).Children who are better at delaying gratification tend to be calmer, to resist frustration better, to be less irritable and aggressive, to concentrate better, and to get higher grades in school than children who are less able to delay gratification (Funder & Block, 1989;Funder, Block, & Block, 1983).Additionally, children who were better able to control themselves could deal with stress better in adolescence and had higher SAT scores when applying to college (Shoda, Mischel, & Peake, 1990).It is clear that self-control is related to success in many aspects of life.Furthermore, the failure of self-control has immense personal and societal repercussions (Baumeister, Heatherton, & Tice,

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  • Suppressing disgust while watching a violent film led to less physical endurance on a subsequent hand grip task.

    “For instance, trying to suppress disgust when watching a violent film led to less physical endurance during a hand grip task afterwards (Muraven, Tice, & Baumeister, 1998)”

    From Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health (2010) · cites this paper as Muraven, Tice, & Baumeister, 1998

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Authors
Muraven, M., Tice, D. M., & Baumeister, R. F.
Affiliations
Case Western Reserve University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
1998
Volume
74
Issue
3
Pages
774-789
ISSN
  • 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1315
DOI
10.1037/0022-3514.74.3.774
OpenAlex
W4295800929
Cited by
1,724
References
56
Citations by year
2026: 36 · 2025: 64 · 2024: 76 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 77 · 2021: 83 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 90 · 2018: 83 · 2017: 101 · 2016: 116 · 2015: 102 · 2014: 89 · 2013: 87 · 2012: 94
FWCI
25.83
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Institute of Mental Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Grit, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation
Keywords
self-control, self-regulation, strength model, energy model, emotion regulation, thought suppression, physical stamina, delay of gratification

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