The Impact of Inhibitory Strength on Self-Control: When, When Not, and by What Mechanism?

• Applicant: Dr. Christopher Mlynski, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: from 2021 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 450219700

The well-known limited-resource model (LRM) of self-control has inspired considerable research, the bulk concerned with fatigue influence on a particular type of inhibitory control referred to here as behavioral restraint: successful resistance against a behavioral impulse to act in some fashion. Although the LRM has been highly influential, concerns have been raised in multiple regards - most relating to a key fatigue proposition. An emerging conceptual analysis of behavioral restraint advanced by Wright and colleagues has potential to address certain concerns. It also conveys important lessons about conditions under which fatigue and self-regulatory strength training should impact inhibitory control . Presently, direct empirical support for the conceptual analysis is limited – deriving from a pair of studies. We propose here three experiments designed to conceptually replicate findings from these studies and extend the findings by testing a full array of implications that follow from the analysis.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr. Veronika Job
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Rex Wright, Ph.D.