News to me if it has. I'd like to see the studies.
Went to wikipedia to look at ego depletion, saw this study (just the abstract);
Quote:
The Impact of Illusory Fatigue on Executive Control
Do Perceptions of Depletion Impair Working Memory Capacity?
The human mind is quite adept at modifying and regulating thoughts, judgments, and behaviors. Recent research has demonstrated that depletion of self-regulatory resources can impair executive function through restriction of working memory capacity. The current work explored whether the mere perception of resource depletion (i.e., illusory fatigue) is sufficient to directly produce these deficits in executive control. To manipulate illusory fatigue, participants were exposed to a depleting or nondepleting task before being presented with false feedback about the effects of the initial task on their state of resource depletion. Participants then completed a well-established index of working memory capacity. Findings revealed that individuals provided with feedback that led to perceptions of low depletion exhibited greater working memory capacity. This effect was independent of individuals' actual state of depletion and was furthermore mediated by their perceived level of depletion. Implications for spontaneous resource replenishment are discussed.
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I think I remember some time way back when we were discussing on this forum a study where glucose was supposed to replete willpower, suggesting that it could as easily be a motivator for activity, rather than repleting lost energy.
This would put it in the realm of a newly discovered process that we knew about all along... the Scooby-snack. Bravery counts as an act of willpower, doesn't it?
If an activity led to glucose--of course there should be renewed interest. This is a feeding activity... keep it up. The play at home game would be tic-tacs, during the final exam.
Another study listed is named
Quote:
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The idea of money counteracts ego depletion effects
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More evidence that what's needed is something to motivate the person, rather than a steady source of glucose. Although I think roller-coaster hunger would still "deplete" willpower in a way--in the sense that it's hard to do math when the most important thing to you at the moment is gnawing hunger
Thanks for the prod, Nancy. I feel kind of silly for forgetting that line of reasoning. I was thinking ketosis might help willpower through a steady supply of fuel to the executive centers--and still think more stable brain energy might be a factor. Decreased motivation to binge makes more sense than increased willpower, and I guess gets me to the same place.