Increasing Self-Regulatory Energy Using an Internet-Based Training Application Delivered by Smartphone Technology

Self-control resources can be defined in terms of “energy.” Repeated attempts to override desires and impulses can result in a state of reduced self-control energy termed “ego depletion” leading to a reduced capacity to regulate future self-control behaviors effectively. Regular practice or “trainin...

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Main Authors: Cranwell, J., Benford, S., Houghton, R., Golembewksi, M., Fischer, J., Hagger, Martin
Format: Journal Article
Published: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publishers 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12387
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author Cranwell, J.
Benford, S.
Houghton, R.
Golembewksi, M.
Fischer, J.
Hagger, Martin
author_facet Cranwell, J.
Benford, S.
Houghton, R.
Golembewksi, M.
Fischer, J.
Hagger, Martin
author_sort Cranwell, J.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Self-control resources can be defined in terms of “energy.” Repeated attempts to override desires and impulses can result in a state of reduced self-control energy termed “ego depletion” leading to a reduced capacity to regulate future self-control behaviors effectively. Regular practice or “training” on self-control tasks may improve an individual's capacity to overcome ego depletion effectively. The current research tested the effectiveness of training using a novel Internet-based smartphone application to improve self-control and reduce ego depletion. In two experiments, participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which received a daily program of self-control training using a modified Stroop-task Internet-based application delivered via smartphone to participants over a 4-week period, or a no-training control group. Participants assigned to the experimental group performed significantly better on post-training laboratory self-control tasks relative to participants in the control group. Findings support the hypothesized training effect on self-control and highlight the effectiveness of a novel Internet-based application delivered by smartphone as a practical means to administer and monitor a self-control training program. The smartphone training application has considerable advantages over other means to train self-control adopted in previous studies in that it has increased ecological validity and enables effective monitoring of compliance with the training program.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-123872017-09-13T14:59:18Z Increasing Self-Regulatory Energy Using an Internet-Based Training Application Delivered by Smartphone Technology Cranwell, J. Benford, S. Houghton, R. Golembewksi, M. Fischer, J. Hagger, Martin Self-control resources can be defined in terms of “energy.” Repeated attempts to override desires and impulses can result in a state of reduced self-control energy termed “ego depletion” leading to a reduced capacity to regulate future self-control behaviors effectively. Regular practice or “training” on self-control tasks may improve an individual's capacity to overcome ego depletion effectively. The current research tested the effectiveness of training using a novel Internet-based smartphone application to improve self-control and reduce ego depletion. In two experiments, participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which received a daily program of self-control training using a modified Stroop-task Internet-based application delivered via smartphone to participants over a 4-week period, or a no-training control group. Participants assigned to the experimental group performed significantly better on post-training laboratory self-control tasks relative to participants in the control group. Findings support the hypothesized training effect on self-control and highlight the effectiveness of a novel Internet-based application delivered by smartphone as a practical means to administer and monitor a self-control training program. The smartphone training application has considerable advantages over other means to train self-control adopted in previous studies in that it has increased ecological validity and enables effective monitoring of compliance with the training program. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12387 10.1089/cyber.2013.0105 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publishers fulltext
spellingShingle Cranwell, J.
Benford, S.
Houghton, R.
Golembewksi, M.
Fischer, J.
Hagger, Martin
Increasing Self-Regulatory Energy Using an Internet-Based Training Application Delivered by Smartphone Technology
title Increasing Self-Regulatory Energy Using an Internet-Based Training Application Delivered by Smartphone Technology
title_full Increasing Self-Regulatory Energy Using an Internet-Based Training Application Delivered by Smartphone Technology
title_fullStr Increasing Self-Regulatory Energy Using an Internet-Based Training Application Delivered by Smartphone Technology
title_full_unstemmed Increasing Self-Regulatory Energy Using an Internet-Based Training Application Delivered by Smartphone Technology
title_short Increasing Self-Regulatory Energy Using an Internet-Based Training Application Delivered by Smartphone Technology
title_sort increasing self-regulatory energy using an internet-based training application delivered by smartphone technology
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12387