The Use of Cognitive Interventions in Reducing the Effects of Ego-Depletion

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal in Psychology, Dec 2015

Published on 10/09/17

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The Use of Cognitive Interventions in Reducing the Effects of Ego-Depletion

Undergraduate Journal in Psychology The U se of Cognitive Inter ventions in Reducing the Effects of Ego-Depletion Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/intuition Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation - Article 7 The Use of Cognitive Interventions in Reducing the Effects of Ego-Depletion John Iglesias Brigham Young University Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology Abstract: Acts of self-regulation, the controlling of behavior to obtain long-term goals, deplete a common mental resource that reduces the capacity for further self-regulation, this depletion is known as ego-depletion (Baumeister, 2014; Fischer, Kastenmüller, & Asal, 2012; Hagger, Wood, Stiff, & Chatzisarantis, 2010; Vohs et al., 2008) . The effects of ego-depletion are linked to increases in risk-taking, subjective fatigue, and failure to resist temptation, which impede progress towards accomplishment of any long-term, self-regulatory goal. The mental processes of self-regulation and general cognitive function are intrinsically connected as they both deplete the same mental resource and induce ego-depletion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown that both these mental processes occur in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, implicating these as interconnected mental activities (Hare, Camerer, & Rangel, 2009; Harris, Hare, & Rangel, 2009; Hedgcock et al., 2012) . This review investigates the underlying principles of cognitive interventions that successfully reduce the effects of ego-depletion by analyzing strategies that either shift attention away from self-regulation tasks or prime individuals to increase performance, despite a state of ego-depletion. Running head: COGNITIVE INTERVENTIONS AND EGO-DEPLETION 94 On an average day, people make decisions that range from instantaneous easy choices to elaborate, consequential, and potentially life-changing decisions. Conflict arises when a person’s automatic desires do not align with goals he or she has made. In such instances, a person utilizes willpower or selfregulation, the ability to exert control over automatic, impulsive desires or behaviors and replace them with behaviors associated with achieving long-term goals or standards (Baumeister, 2014; Fischer, Kastenmüller, & Asal, 2012; Hagger, Wood, Stiff, & Chatzisarantis, 2010; Vohs et al., 2008) . Self-regulation has been conceptualized by psychologists to occur in two-stages; conflict-identification and behavior implementation (Alberts et al., 2007; Alberts et al., 2008) . A person first identifies the difference between immediate desire, resulting impulsive behavior and a more positive (but long-term) goal, then implements behaviors that either correspond to the immediate desire or the long-term goal (Hedgcock, Vohs, & Rao, 2012; Hoffman, Baumeister, Förster, & Vohs, 2012) . Self-regulation is thus a cognitive process that involves deliberation between different enticing behaviors that have either immediate or longterm benefits. Studies on the neurological components behind selfCOGNITIVE INTERVENTIONS AND EGO-DEPLETION 95 regulation, where subjects engaged in activities requiring self-regulation, found that brain activity increased in the rostral middle frontal gyrus (rMFG), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) ( Hare, Camerer, & Rangel, 2009; Harris, Hare, & Rangel, 2009; Hedgcock et al., 2012) . All three of these areas in the brain occupy the same general region of the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with planning complex cognitive behavior. This commonality of location amongst brain regions helps explain the relationship between goal-making, goal-keeping, and self-regulation in decision making. Self-regulation as a mental process is a necessary component of goal-keeping, especially when an individual is tempted with options counterproductive to his or her planned goals. The importance of selfregulation increases considering the potential negative effects an individual may face should he or she fail to accomplish important goals. Unfortunately while self-regulation is important it is not inexhaustible. The act of exercising self-regulation consumes a limited mental resource impairing subsequent self-regulatory activity in a phenomenon known as ego-depletion (Baumeister, 2014; Hagger et al., 2010; Vohs et al., 2008) . The term egoCOGNITIVE INTERVENTIONS AND EGO-DEPLETION 96 depletion references the Freudian concept of the ego, a person’s ability to mediate between short-term carnal desires and long-term morally responsible goals. This phenomenon poses a problem for any individual whose long-term goals might often conflict with everyday temptations or short-term immediately gratifying behaviors (e.g., those struggling with addictions). Some external factors, such as the presence of others, personality traits, and alcohol intake, affect the success of self-regulation in inhibiting the immediate gratific (...truncated)


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The Use of Cognitive Interventions in Reducing the Effects of Ego-Depletion, Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal in Psychology, 2015, Volume 11, Issue 2,