Sharp, Aaron (2019) The Strength Model of Self-Regulation: Are Bigram Frequencies Affecting the Depletion Effect? Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The strength model of self-regulation posits that self-control is a limited resource that can be depleted over time from repeated use, ultimately resulting in a state of ‘ego depletion’. The model has been well established in the literature but more recent research has brought the model into question with the suggestion that other confounding variables might be responsible for the results that were found. In light of this, further research was independently carried out but with mixed results. The strength model is generally tested via the sequential-task paradigm which consists of a depletion task followed by an outcome task. Up to this point, the literature had assumed that ego depletion was occurring during the depletion task based upon the results of the outcome task but new research was carried out to test this assumption. While the results of this new research appeared to confirm that depletion was occurring, a further study found the materials used had confounding variables in the form of bigram frequency effects that were affecting the outcome of the results. However, inconsistencies in the bigram frequency distribution meant the material was unsuitable for proper analysis. In this study we replicated previous research using new material designed to eliminate the confounds. In doing so we demonstrated that although both bigram frequency and depletion effects were occurring, depletion was only occurring in the low bigram frequency targets. These findings suggest that although depletion is occurring, it is not fully explained by the strength model of self-regulation.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Gerry Tehan |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 03 Nov 2025 01:40 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Nov 2025 01:40 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Strength model; self-regulation; ego depletion; bigram frequency effects |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52749 |
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