Title |
Neural and Behavioral Evidence for an Intrinsic Cost of Self-Control
|
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Published in |
PLOS ONE, August 2013
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0072626 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Wouter Kool, Joseph T. McGuire, Gary J. Wang, Matthew M. Botvinick |
Abstract |
The capacity for self-control is critical to adaptive functioning, yet our knowledge of the underlying processes and mechanisms is presently only inchoate. Theoretical work in economics has suggested a model of self-control centering on two key assumptions: (1) a division within the decision-maker between two 'selves' with differing preferences; (2) the idea that self-control is intrinsically costly. Neuroscience has recently generated findings supporting the 'dual-self' assumption. The idea of self-control costs, in contrast, has remained speculative. We report the first independent evidence for self-control costs. Through a neuroimaging meta-analysis, we establish an anatomical link between self-control and the registration of cognitive effort costs. This link predicts that individuals who strongly avoid cognitive demand should also display poor self-control. To test this, we conducted a behavioral experiment leveraging a measure of demand avoidance along with two measures of self-control. The results obtained provide clear support for the idea of self-control costs. |
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United States | 4 | 18% |
Spain | 1 | 5% |
Brazil | 1 | 5% |
Japan | 1 | 5% |
Canada | 1 | 5% |
France | 1 | 5% |
Netherlands | 1 | 5% |
Unknown | 8 | 36% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 15 | 68% |
Scientists | 5 | 23% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 2 | 9% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 8 | 3% |
Switzerland | 2 | <1% |
Germany | 1 | <1% |
United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
Brazil | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 248 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 70 | 27% |
Researcher | 36 | 14% |
Student > Master | 31 | 12% |
Student > Bachelor | 26 | 10% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 18 | 7% |
Other | 49 | 19% |
Unknown | 31 | 12% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 128 | 49% |
Neuroscience | 21 | 8% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 16 | 6% |
Computer Science | 8 | 3% |
Social Sciences | 8 | 3% |
Other | 29 | 11% |
Unknown | 51 | 20% |