Hagger, M. S., Wood, C., Stiff, C., &Chatzisarantis, N. L. (2010). Ego depletion and the strength model of self-control: a meta-analysis.

According to the strength model, self-control is a finite resource that determines capacity for effortful control over dominant responses and, once expended, leads to impaired self-control task performance, known as ego depletion. A meta-analysis of 83 studies tested the effect of ego depletion on task performance and related outcomes, alternative explanations and moderators of the effect, and additional strength model hypotheses. Results revealed a significant effect of ego depletion on self-control task performance. Significant effect sizes were found for ego depletion on effort, perceived difficulty, negative affect, subjective fatigue, and blood glucose levels. Small, nonsignificant effects were found for positive affect and self-efficacy. Moderator analyses indicated minimal variation in the effect across sphere of depleting and dependent task, frequently used depleting and dependent tasks, presentation of tasks as single or separate experiments, type of dependent measure and control condition task, and source laboratory. The effect size was moderated by depleting task duration, task presentation by the same or different experimenters, intertask interim period, dependent task complexity, and use of dependent tasks in the choice and volition and cognitive spheres. Motivational incentives, training on self-control tasks, and glucose supplementation promoted better self-control in ego-depleted samples. Expecting further acts of self-control exacerbated the effect. Findings provide preliminary support for the ego-depletion effect and strength model hypotheses. Support for motivation and fatigue as alternative explanations for ego depletion indicate a need to integrate the strength model with other theories. Findings provide impetus for future investigation testing additional hypotheses and mechanisms of the ego-depletion effect.

 


Hagger, M. S., Wood, C., Stiff, C., & Chatzisarantis, N. L. (2010). Ego depletion and the strength model of self-control: a meta-analysis. Psychological bulletin, 136(4), 495.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0019486

 

 

 

 

 

Andrea, H., Beurskens, A. J. H. M., Kant, I. J., Davey, G. C. L., Field, A. P., &van Schayck, C. P. (2004). The relation between pathological worrying and fatigue in a working population.

 

Objective

This study aimed to explore cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between pathological worry and fatigue in a working population.

Methods

In employees with very low or very high fatigue levels, psychometrics of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; measuring pathological worry) and the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS; measuring fatigue) were examined and their cross-sectional and longitudinal associations were explored.

Results

Pathological worry and fatigue can be measured as different constructs. However, pathological worry and fatigue were also associated on a cross-sectional level. Pathological worry predicted fatigue level 10 months later, but this association disappeared after adjustment for the cross-sectional association between pathological worry and fatigue.

Conclusion

Although they can be measured as different constructs, pathological worry and fatigue seem to be associated. When studying longitudinal relations between pathological worry and fatigue, their cross-sectional association should be taken into account. Pathological worry might not be a risk factor for fatigue per se, but might act more like a mediating factor.

 

 

 

Andrea, H., Beurskens, A. J. H. M., Kant, I. J., Davey, G. C. L., Field, A. P., & van Schayck, C. P. (2004). The relation between pathological worrying and fatigue in a working population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(4), 399-407.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2003.09.013

 

Flett, G. L., &Hewitt, P. L. (2005). The perils of perfectionism in sports and exercise. Current directions in psychological science, 14(1), 14-18.

Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality construct that has been linked with various forms of maladjustment. In this article, we discuss the role of perfectionism as a maladaptive factor in sports and exercise, and we describe a phenomenon we identify as the perfectionism paradox. We note that even though certain sports require athletes to achieve perfect performance outcomes, the tendency to be characterized by perfectionistic personality traits and to be cognitively preoccupied with the attainment of perfection often undermines performance and fosters a sense of dissatisfaction with performance. We review existing findings in the literature on sports and exercise and demonstrate that the extreme orientation that accompanies perfectionism is antithetical to attaining positive outcomes. Finally, future research directions are outlined.

 

 

Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2005). The perils of perfectionism in sports and exercise. Current directions in psychological science, 14(1), 14-18.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00326.x

 


 

Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., &Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review.

Objective: Although mindfulness-based therapy has become a popular treatment, little is known about its efficacy. Therefore, our objective was to conduct an effect size analysis of this popular intervention for anxiety and mood symptoms in clinical samples. Method: We conducted a literature search using PubMed, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches. Our meta-analysis was based on 39 studies totaling 1,140 participants receiving mindfulness-based therapy for a range of conditions, including cancer, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and other psychiatric or medical conditions. Results: Effect size estimates suggest that mindfulness-based therapy was moderately effective for improving anxiety (Hedges’s g = 0.63) and mood symptoms (Hedges’s g = 0.59) from pre- to posttreatment in the overall sample. In patients with anxiety and mood disorders, this intervention was associated with effect sizes (Hedges’s g) of 0.97 and 0.95 for improving anxiety and mood symptoms, respectively. These effect sizes were robust, were unrelated to publication year or number of treatment sessions, and were maintained over follow-up. Conclusions: These results suggest that mindfulness-based therapy is a promising intervention for treating anxiety and mood problems in clinical populations

 

 

Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 78(2), 169.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0018555

 

Grant, A. M. (2008). Employees without a cause: The motivational effects of prosocial impact in public service. International Public Management Journal, 11(1), 48-66.

Public service employees often lack opportunities to see the prosocial impact of their jobs—how their efforts make a difference in other people’s lives. Drawing on recent job design theory and research, I tested the hypothesis that the motivation of public service employees can be enhanced by connecting them to their prosocial impact. In a longitudinal quasi-experiment, a group of fundraising callers serving a public university met a fellowship student who benefited from the funds raised by the organization. A full month later, these callers increased significantly in the number of pledges and the amount of donation money that they obtained, whereas callers in a control group did not change on these measures. I discuss the implications of these results for theory, research, and practice related to work motivation in public service.

 

 

Grant, A. M. (2008). Employees without a cause: The motivational effects of prosocial impact in public service. International Public Management Journal, 11(1), 48-66.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10967490801887905

 


Kushlev, K., &Dunn, E. W. (2015). Checking email less frequently reduces stress. Computers in Human Behavior, 43, 220-228.

Using email is one of the most common online activities in the world today. Yet, very little experimental research has examined the effect of email on well-being. Utilizing a within-subjects design, we investigated how the frequency of checking email affects well-being over a period of two weeks. During one week, 124 adults were randomly assigned to limit checking their email to three times a day; during the other week, participants could check their email an unlimited number of times per day. We found that during the limited email use week, participants experienced significantly lower daily stress than during the unlimited email use week. Lower stress, in turn, predicted higher well-being on a diverse range of well-being outcomes. These findings highlight the benefits of checking email less frequently for reducing psychological stress.

 

 

Kushlev, K., & Dunn, E. W. (2015). Checking email less frequently reduces stress. Computers in Human Behavior, 43, 220-228.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.005

 

Gross, J. J. (2002). Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences. Psychophysiology, 39(3), 281-291.

 

One of life’s great challenges is successfully regulating emotions. Do some emotion regulation strategies have more to recommend them than others? According to Gross’s (1998, Review of General Psychology, 2, 271–299) process model of emotion regulation, strategies that act early in the emotion-generative process should have a different profile of consequences than strategies that act later on. This review focuses on two commonly used strategies for down-regulating emotion. The first, reappraisal, comes early in the emotion-generative process. It consists of changing the way a situation is construed so as to decrease its emotional impact. The second, suppression, comes later in the emotion-generative process. It consists of inhibiting the outward signs of inner feelings. Experimental and individual-difference studies find reappraisal is often more effective than suppression. Reappraisal decreases emotion experience and behavioral expression, and has no impact on memory. By contrast, suppression decreases behavioral expression, but fails to decrease emotion experience, and actually impairs memory. Suppression also increases physiological responding for suppressors and their social partners. This review concludes with a consideration of five important directions for future research on emotion regulation processes.

 

 

Gross, J. J. (2002). Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences. Psychophysiology, 39(3), 281-291.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0048577201393198

 

Kogan, A., et al. (2014). Vagal activity is quadratically related to prosocial traits, prosocial emotions, and observer perceptions of prosociality.

In the present article, we introduce the quadratic vagal activity–prosociality hypothesis, a theoretical framework for understanding the vagus nerve’s involvement in prosociality. We argue that vagus nerve activity supports prosocial behavior by regulating physiological systems that enable emotional expression, empathy for others’ mental and emotional states, the regulation of one’s own distress, and the experience of positive emotions. However, we contend that extremely high levels of vagal activity can be detrimental to prosociality. We present 3 studies providing support for our model, finding consistent evidence of a quadratic relationship between respiratory sinus arrhythmia—the degree to which the vagus nerve modulates the heart rate—and prosociality. Individual differences in vagal activity were quadratically related to prosocial traits (Study 1), prosocial emotions (Study 2), and outside ratings of prosociality by complete strangers (Study 3). Thus, too much or too little vagal activity appears to be detrimental to prosociality. The present article provides the 1st theoretical and empirical account of the nonlinear relationship between vagal activity and prosociality.

 

 

Kogan, A., Oveis, C., Carr, E. W., Gruber, J., Mauss, I. B., Shallcross, A., … & Keltner, D. (2014). Vagal activity is quadratically related to prosocial traits, prosocial emotions, and observer perceptions of prosociality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 107(6), 1051.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0037509

 


 

Jackson, S. E., Schwab, R. L., &Schuler, R. S. (1986). Toward an understanding of the burnout phenomenon. Journal of applied psychology, 71(4), 630.

Tested 9 hypotheses about the burnout phenomenon, defined as a 3-component syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of low personal accomplishment. Burnout was hypothesized to be associated with unmet employee expectations and job conditions. Hypothesized consequences of burnout included (a) preferred job type, (b) subsequent thoughts about leaving, (c) job-search behaviors, (d) training received, (e) intentions to leave, and (f) voluntary leaving. Elementary and secondary school teachers (median age 36 yrs) responded to 2 questionnaires mailed to their homes; 1 yr elapsed between completion of the 2 questionnaires. Regression analyses of time-lagged data (N = 248) supported many of the hypothesized correlates of employee burnout. It is suggested that improved conceptualizations about the burnout phenomenon are needed.

 

 

 

Jackson, S. E., Schwab, R. L., & Schuler, R. S. (1986). Toward an understanding of the burnout phenomenon. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(4), 630-640.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.4.630

 

Tsai, J. L., Knutson, B., &Fung, H. H. (2006). Cultural variation in affect valuation. Journal of personality and social psychology, 90(2), 288.

The authors propose that how people want to feel (“ideal affect”) differs from how they actually feel (“actual affect”) and that cultural factors influence ideal more than actual affect. In 2 studies, controlling for actual affect, the authors found that European American (EA) and Asian American (AA) individuals value high-arousal positive affect (e.g., excitement) more than do Hong Kong Chinese (CH). On the other hand, CH and AA individuals value low-arousal positive affect (e.g., calm) more than do EA individuals. For all groups, the discrepancy between ideal and actual affect correlates with depression. These findings illustrate the distinctiveness of ideal and actual affect, show that culture influences ideal affect more than actual affect, and indicate that both play a role in mental health.

 

 

 

Tsai, J. L., Knutson, B., & Fung, H. H. (2006). Cultural variation in affect valuation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(2), 288-307.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.2.288