Increased Avoidance Motivation as a Mechanism for Self-Control Failure

Abstract

Previous research has found that engaging in an act of self-control impairs further self-control attempts for a brief time. However, little is known about why this occurs or more specifically what the underlying mechanisms that mediate the effect of an initial self-control act on a later self-control act are. The current research proposed that an increase in avoidance motivation underlies subsequent self-control failure after prior self-control exertion. To examine this hypothesis, a pilot study and two additional studies were conducted. The pilot study examined the validity of a measure of avoidance motivation to be used in the current studies and further found tentative evidence that exercising self-control leads to an increase in avoidance motivation. Studies 1 and 2, however, failed to find evidence that exercising self-control leads to an increase in avoidance motivation further precluding any attempts at examining whether avoidance motivation mediates subsequent self-control failures. Studies 1 and 2 further failed to replicate well established findings in the self-control literature. Implications of the present research, possible explanations for the current results, and future directions are discussed.