Effects of practicing self-control on academic performance.

Autor/inn/en	Job, Veronika; Friese, Malte; Bernecker, Katharina
Titel	Effects of practicing self-control on academic performance.
Quelle	In: Motivation Science, 1 (2015) 4, S. 219-232 PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2333-8113; 2333-8121
DOI	10.1037/mot0000024
Schlagwörter	Training; Leistung; Selbstkontrolle
Abstract	Research has suggested that regular practice can improve self-control, usually indicated by self-report measures assessed during or shortly after the practice intervention. The present study looked at objectively measured end-of-year grade point average (GPA) as the focal outcome of a self-control training intervention. Participants in the self-control training conditions squeezed a handgrip twice a day for 2 weeks. To isolate placebo effects, we manipulated expectations about the effect of the training. Compared to a no-treatment control condition, participants in both self-control training conditions earned higher GPAs, and they reported spending more hours with study-related activities 4 weeks prior to the exams. The effects were mediated by reduced study-related effort avoidance but not by increased inhibitory control or resistance to fatigue. The results indicate that practicing self-control may have long-term effects on academic performance and provide first evidence for a motivational mechanism. (ZPID).
Erfasst von	Leibniz-Institut für Psychologie, Trier
Update	2026/3