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The Benefits of Self-Set Goals: Is Ego Depletion Really a Result of Self-Control Failure?

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  • Mario Wenzel
  • Daniela Zahn
  • Zarah Rowland
  • Thomas Kubiak

Abstract

Research on ego depletion aims at explaining self-control failures in daily life. Both resource models and motivational accounts have been proposed for explanation. The aim of the present research was to test the different assumptions in two dual-task experiments where we operationalized ego depletion as a performance deviation from a self-set goal. In two experiments, we found evidence for this deviation contradicting motivational accounts of ego depletion: Participants experiencing ego depletion set themselves a stricter instead of a more lenient goal than controls, in that they chose to eat less cookies or wanted to perform better. Moreover, only participants without an initial self-control task could adhere to their self-set goal, whereas participants in the ego depletion condition in both experiments could not follow through with their more ambitious intentions. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the importance of goals in ego depletion research.

Suggested Citation

  • Mario Wenzel & Daniela Zahn & Zarah Rowland & Thomas Kubiak, 2016. "The Benefits of Self-Set Goals: Is Ego Depletion Really a Result of Self-Control Failure?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0157009
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Siegfried Dewitte & Sabrina Bruyneel & Kelly Geyskens, 2009. "Self-Regulating Enhances Self-Regulation in Subsequent Consumer Decisions Involving Similar Response Conflicts," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 36(3), pages 394-405.
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