Overview

To briefly explain, the self-control strength model states that individuals have a limited pool of resource or energy for self-control (self-control strength). Moreover, self-control performance should be directly related to the amount of strength an individual has. All attempts at self-control require and consume (deplete) this strength. After exerting self-control, individuals should be lower in strength and therefore perform more poorly on a test of self-control as compared to individuals who did not exert self-control prior. In one of the first tests of this model, individuals who had to exert self-control over their thoughts subsequently were less able to inhibit their laughter at a humorous movie as compared to individuals who worked on addition problems. Participants reported that the thought control exercise was no more unpleasant, difficult, frustrating, arousing, or effortful than solving math problems; the only difference between the two conditions was the amount of self-control required.

Subsequent research has found that individuals in a situation that demanded control over alcohol consumption consumed more and became more intoxicated when they exerted self-control in the first part of the experiment as compared to individuals who worked an equally unpleasant, frustrating, effortful task that did not require self-control. Depletion has also been associated with poorer self-control performance in children, greater use of stereotypes, and worse performance on cognitive tasks such as the Stroop and stop signal paradigm.