Motivational Versus Metabolic Effects of Carbohydrates on Self-Control
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Date
2012-10-01
Authors
Molden, Daniel C.
Hui, Chin Ming
Scholer, Abigail A.
Meier, Brian P.
Noreen, Eric E.
D’Agostino, Paul R.
Martin, Valerie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sage Publications
Abstract
Self-control is critical for achievement and well-being. However, people’s capacity for self-control is limited and becomes depleted through use. One prominent explanation for this depletion posits that self-control consumes energy through carbohydrate metabolization, which further suggests that ingesting carbohydrates improves self-control. Some evidence has supported this energy model, but because of its broad implications for efforts to improve self-control, we reevaluated the role of carbohydrates in self-control processes. In four experiments, we found that (a) exerting self-control did not increase carbohydrate metabolization, as assessed with highly precise measurements of blood glucose levels under carefully standardized conditions; (b) rinsing one’s mouth with, but not ingesting, carbohydrate solutions immediately bolstered self-control; and (c) carbohydrate rinsing did not increase blood glucose. These findings challenge metabolic explanations for the role of carbohydrates in self-control depletion; we therefore propose an alternative motivational model for these and other previously observed effects of carbohydrates on self-control.
Description
To view the final version of this © The Authors, SAGE publication go here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797612439069
Keywords
Regulatory Focus, Domain-Specific Risk-Taking, Motivational Affordance