The strength model of self-regulation failure and health-related behaviour

Abstract

Successful self-regulation is associated with adherence to health-related behaviour in many domains. In contrast, self-regulatory failure is linked to poor adherence and drop-out.This review presents the strength model of self-control as a framework to explain selfregulation in health-related behaviour contexts. In the model, self-regulation is conceptualized as a limited resource that once depleted results in reduced capacity to further regulate the self.We provide an overview of the hypotheses of the strength model and review research applying the model to self-regulation in four health-related behaviour domains: dietary restraint and eating behaviour, alcohol consumption, smoking cessation, and physical activity. Based on our review, we recommend practitioners adopt strategies to minimise self-regulatory failure in people engaging in health-related behaviours such as minimising demands on self-control resources in the early stages of uptake and eating regularly to prevent hypoglycaemia. We advocate techniques to improve self-control strength through rest and training on self-control tasks. Suggestions on how these techniques can be integrated into health-related behaviourchange interventions are provided. Recommendations for future research to identify the mechanisms underpinning self-control resource depletion, conduct further randomized controlled interventions using the model, and integrate strength model hypotheses into existing models of health-related behaviour are proposed.

Health behaviours and their facilitation under depletion conditions: The case of snacking

“…The significant main effect of depletion is consistent with previous research showing the detrimental effect of depletion on self-control outcomes in general (Hagger et al, 2010), and on health behaviours in particular (Hagger, Wood, Stiff, & Chatzisarantis, 2009). Furthermore, the present 1 When the main analysis was repeated without controlling for initial hunger, the pattern of the group means for total snack consumption replicated that of the estimated marginal means in the original analysis.…”

Impulse control in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex counteracts post-diet weight regain in obesity

“…This is also supported by research on eating disorders showing that anorexia nervosa patients maintain very low body weight for sustained periods (Attia and Walsh, 2007) by excessively suppressing their impulses to eat (Hagger et al, 2009). …”

Student’s Voice Online: Experiences of PE in Finnish Schools

“…Seale et al, 2010). However, there may be an unwritten imperative in forums to compete with previous writers and make one's experiences sound even worse or better than theirs (Hagger, Wood, Stiff, & Chatzisarantis, 2009). It may be that the Internet encourages more forthright expression and that negative examples fuel the effects of other writers.…”