Sadd, Adam (2016) Experimental Comparison on the Relative Effect of Different Depletion Tasks. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Self-control (or willpower) is implicated in a huge array of human behaviours such as decision-making, emotional and behavioural regulation. The use of self-control relies on executive functions, which hypothetically, draw on a limited internal resource. This internal resource can be depleted, a phenomena known as ego depletion. Depletion results in the unavailability of executive functions and consequently self-control failures. The depletion construct has been well established in psychology with hundreds of experiments since Baumeister proposed the model in the early 1990s. However, in 2016 Martin Hagger lead an international team of 23 laboratories, involving over 2,000 research participants to test the depletion model and found no effect. Baumeister has since responded claiming the tasks used were inappropriate and proposed a set of requirements for setting up depletion experimental tasks (i.e., gross motor movement, motor inhibition, and habit-breaking). The current study aims to investigate Hagger’s claim that there is no depletion and Baumeister’s claim that there is if you have the right task. Participants were assigned to either one of Hagger’s tasks (depleting or control) or to a second depleting task which fit with Baumeister’s criteria. The Baumeister condition was a paper and pen version of the letter recognition task with a rule-change part way through. Performance was measured using the Multi-Source Interference Task (MSIT) pre and post-depletion to compare the differential effects of these activities on performance. The current study aims to answer the following questions; does the depletion effect exist and, if so, is Baumeister’s criteria for setting up depletion experimental tasks supported.
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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: | Michael Ireland |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 22 Sep 2025 23:29 |
| Last Modified: | 22 Sep 2025 23:29 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ego depletion ; executive function ; self-control ; MSIT; Multi-Source Interference Task |
| 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/52726 |
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