title: The sweet taste of success: the presence of glucose in the oral cavity moderates the depletion of self-control resources.
abstract: According to the resource-depletion model, self-control is a limited resource that is depleted after a period of exertion. Evidence consistent with this model indicates that self-control relies on glucose metabolism and glucose supplementation to depleted individuals replenishes self-control resources. In five experiments, we tested an alternative hypothesis that glucose in the oral cavity counteracts the deleterious effects of self-control depletion. We predicted a glucose mouth rinse, as opposed to an artificially sweetened placebo rinse, would lead to better self-control after depletion. In Studies 1 to 3, participants engaging in a depleting task performed significantly better on a subsequent self-control task after receiving a glucose mouth rinse, as opposed to participants rinsing with a placebo. Studies 4 and 5 replicated these findings and demonstrated that the glucose mouth rinse had no effect on self-control in nondepleted participants. Results are consistent with a neural rather than metabolic mechanism for the effect of glucose supplementation on self-control.
authors.affiliation: Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia. martin.hagger@curtin.edu.au
authors.forename: Martin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hagger
authors.forename: Nikos L D
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Chatzisarantis
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D001288:Attention; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009055:Mouth; D009067:Mouthwashes; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012649:Self Concept; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009067:Mouthwashes; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D005947:Glucose