Exercising self-control increases approach motivation.
The present research tested the hypothesis that exercising self-control causes an increase in approach motivation. Study 1 found that exercising (vs. not exercising) self-control increases self-reported approach motivation. Study 2a identified a behavior--betting on low-stakes gambles--that is correlated with approach motivation but is relatively uncorrelated with self-control, and Study 2b observed that exercising self-control temporarily increases this behavior. Last, Study 3 found that exercising self-control facilitates the perception of a reward-relevant symbol (i.e., a dollar sign) but not a reward-irrelevant symbol (i.e., a percent sign). Altogether, these results support the hypothesis that exercising self-control temporarily increases approach motivation. Failures of self-control that follow from prior efforts at self-control (i.e., ego depletion) may be explained in part by increased approach motivation.
Schmeichel
Brandon J
BJ
Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, USA. schmeichel@tamu.edu
Harmon-Jones
Cindy
C
Harmon-Jones
Eddie
E
D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012201:Reward; D012649:Self Concept