M. Muraven et al., SELF-CONTROL AS LIMITED RESOURCE - REGULATORY DEPLETION PATTERNS, Journal of personality and social psychology, 74(3), 1998, pp. 774-789
If self-regulation conforms to an energy or strength model, then self-
control should be impaired by prior exertion. In Study I, trying to re
gulate one's emotional response to an upsetting movie was followed by
a decrease in physical stamina. In Study 2, suppressing forbidden thou
ghts led to a subsequent tendency to give up quickly on unsolvable ana
grams. In Study 3, suppressing thoughts impaired subsequent efforts to
control the expression of amusement and enjoyment. In Study 4, autobi
ographical accounts of successful versus failed emotional control link
ed prior regulatory demands and fatigue to self-regulatory failure. A
strength model of self-regulation fits the data better than activation
, priming, skill, or constant capacity models of self-regulation.