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Gendolla GHE. Commentary: Engage or disengage? Interpretations from a resource conservation perspective. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-022-09987-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn this commentary, I discuss the eight empirical contributions to the Motivation and Emotion special issue on goal disengagement from a resource conservation perspective. This process was not in the focus of the reported studies, but is central for understanding both engaging and disengaging. I will outline that many of the new findings on disengagement reported in this special issue are highly compatible with the predictions of and research on motivational intensity theory. Examples are the roles of commitment, subjective goal value, affective experiences, autonomy, self-awareness, and action planning. These variables have been found to be central for both engagement and disengagement and their consideration in a resource mobilization perspective should contribute to a more complete understanding of “letting go”.
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Xing W, Zhang S, Wang Z, Jiang D, Han S, Luo Y. Self-awareness protects working memory in people under chronic stress: An ERP study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1003719. [PMID: 36248489 PMCID: PMC9561943 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1003719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress impairs working memory (WM), but few studies have explored the protective factors of the impairment. We aimed to investigate the effect of self-awareness on WM processing in people under chronic stress. Participants under chronic stress completed an n-back task after a self-awareness priming paradigm during which electroencephalograms were recorded. The behavioral results showed that participants whose self-awareness was primed reacted faster and more accurately than the controls. Event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed the following (1) P2 was more positive in the self-awareness group than in the controls, indicating that self-awareness enhanced allocation of attention resources at the encoding stage. (2) N2 was attenuated in the self-awareness group compared with the controls, indicating that smaller attention control efforts were required to complete WM tasks adequately after self-awareness priming; and (3) enhanced late positive potential (LPP) was evoked in the self-awareness group compared with the controls, suggesting self-awareness enabled participants to focus attention resources on the information at the maintenance stage. Critically, mediational analyses showed that LPP mediated the relationship between self-awareness and WM response times. This result suggests that the fact that participants whose self-awareness was primed were able to achieve better behavioral performances may be attributed to their mobilization of sustained attention resources at the maintenance stage. In summary, self-awareness exerted a protective effect on WM in those under chronic stress, which may be due to the enhancements in the allocation and mobilization of attention. These results could be used to develop more specific coping strategies for people under chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Xing
- College of Economics and Management, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Shu Zhang
- College of Teacher Education, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- College of Teacher Education, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Dan Jiang
- Zhuhai Sanzao Central Primary School, Zhuhai, China
| | - Shangfeng Han
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Province, China
- *Correspondence: Shangfeng Han, ; Yuejia Luo,
| | - Yuejia Luo
- College of Teacher Education, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, China
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- The State Key Lab of Cognitive and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- The Research Center of Brain Science and Visual Cognition, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Shangfeng Han, ; Yuejia Luo,
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Wang J, Wang W, Ren S, Shi W, Hou ZG. Neural Correlates of Single-Task Versus Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training. IEEE Trans Cogn Dev Syst 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/tcds.2021.3053050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shixin Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiguo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zeng-Guang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Mazeres F, Brinkmann K, Richter M. Explicit achievement motive strength determines effort-related myocardial beta-adrenergic activity if task difficulty is unclear but not if task difficulty is clear. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 169:11-19. [PMID: 34480970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Work on physiological and other behavioral correlates of motives often assumes that motives exert a direct effect on behavior once activated. Motivational intensity theory, however, suggests that this does not always apply. In the context of task engagement, motive strength should exert a direct effect on myocardial beta-adrenergic activity if task difficulty is unclear, but not if task difficulty is known. The presented study tested this prediction for the impact of the explicit achievement motive on myocardial beta-adrenergic activity-assessed as pre-ejection period (PEP) reactivity during task performance. Seventy-eight participants performed one of two versions of a mental arithmetic task. After having completed the achievement motive scale of the Personality Research Form, participants were either informed about the difficulty of the task or not before working on it. Participants' PEP reactivity during task performance provided evidence for the predicted moderating impact of clarity of task difficulty: PEP reactivity increased with increasing achievement motive strength if task difficulty was unclear, but not if it was clear. These findings demonstrate that the explicit achievement motive impact on myocardial beta-adrenergic activity is moderated by clarity of task difficulty and suggest that motive strength does not always translate into direct effects on physiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Mazeres
- Geneva Motivation Lab, Department of Psychology, FPSE, University of Geneva, 40 Bd. Du Pont-d'Arve, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
| | - Kerstin Brinkmann
- Geneva Motivation Lab, Department of Psychology, FPSE, University of Geneva, 40 Bd. Du Pont-d'Arve, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
| | - Michael Richter
- Effort Lab, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, L3 3AF Liverpool, UK.
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Abstract
Abstract. Attaining sports or health goals requires not only high motivation but also the willpower to translate sport-behavior intentions into successful action. This volitional regulation calls for the mobilization of effort to overcome obstacles in the pursuit of goals. The present article provides a theoretical and empirical overview of motivation intensity theory ( Brehm & Self, 1989 ) – a conceptual framework that makes clear and testable predictions about effort mobilization in various contexts. First, we present the guiding principles of this theory and its operationalizations by measures of effort-related cardiovascular reactivity and physical handgrip force. Second, we review a selection of empirical tests of the basic assumptions of this theory and the impact of psychological moderator variables such as affect, fatigue, pain, and personality on effort mobilization. Finally, we discuss important implications of these findings for the sports and health domains and make suggestions for future research.
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Auzoult L, Priolo D, Blanchet C, Guilbert L. Self- and Coregulation of Health and Performance at Workplace. PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12646-020-00570-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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Abstract
Emotion regulation is important for psychological well-being, yet we know relatively little about why, when, and how hard people try to regulate emotions. This article seeks to address these motivational issues by considering effortful emotion regulation as a unique form of cybernetic control. In any domain of self-regulation, emotions serve as indices of progress in regulation and inform the expected value of regulation. In emotion regulation, however, emotions also serve as the very target of regulation. This interdependence gives rise to ironic processes that may render people less likely to exert effort in emotion regulation, precisely when they need it most. The proposed analysis complements and extends existing theories of emotion regulation, sheds new light on available findings, carries implications for psychopathology and well-being, and points to new hypotheses that could lead to theoretical and applied advances in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Tamir
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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Mazeres F, Brinkmann K, Richter M. Implicit achievement motive limits the impact of task difficulty on effort-related cardiovascular response. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2019.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Thomas RM, Schnitker SA. Modeling the effects of within-person characteristic and goal-level attributes on personal project pursuit over time. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2016.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Auzoult L, Kubiszewski V, Hardy-Massard S. Perseverance in the Effort. SWISS JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1024/1421-0185/a000184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. A study by Wiekens and Stapel (2010) highlights the existence of individualistic and social standards of self-regulation associated with a heightened level of self-awareness or self-consciousness. This study aimed to replicate one of the original studies and to introduce a new individualistic standard expressing perseverance in effort. A total of 247 students completed a questionnaire measuring these different standards and private and public self-consciousness. The results confirmed the relevance of the typology of standards of self-regulation introduced by Wiekens and Stapel. They also confirmed that a standard of perseverance in effort is associated with private self-consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Auzoult
- Laboratoire Epsylon (EA 4556), Université de Montpellier, France
| | - Violaine Kubiszewski
- Laboratoire de Psychologie (EA 3188), University of Franche Comté, Besançon, France
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Ichimura K, Ueda Y, Kusumi T. [Motivational influences of task difficulty information on task effort]. SHINRIGAKU KENKYU : THE JAPANESE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 87:262-272. [PMID: 29630171 DOI: 10.4992/jjpsy.87.15008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Two studies were conducted to investigate the motivational influences of information about task difficulty on task effort. In both studies, an anagram task was used as the experimental task and task motivation was measured with rating scales. In experiment 1, 60 participants were presented anagrams labeled as “easy” or “difficult”, both of which were actually impossible to solve. Results revealed that participants low in intrinsic motivation put in more effort on anagrams labeled “easy” than “difficult”. In experiment 2, 60 participants were assigned to two groups (30 each) and task outcomes were manipulated (positive and negative). Results revealed that participants with positive outcomes could maintain task motivation and put in more effort on the challenging anagrams than those with negative outcomes. These results suggest that information about task difficulty can promote regulation of task effort and task motivation for sustained studying, especially for computer-based learning.
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Silvia PJ, Mironovová Z, McHone AN, Sperry SH, Harper KL, Kwapil TR, Eddington KM. Do depressive symptoms "blunt" effort? An analysis of cardiac engagement and withdrawal for an increasingly difficult task. Biol Psychol 2016; 118:52-60. [PMID: 27174723 PMCID: PMC4956535 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.04.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Research on depression and effort has suggested "depressive blunting"-lower cardiovascular reactivity in response to challenges and stressors. Many studies, however, find null effects or higher reactivity. The present research draws upon motivational intensity theory, a broad model of effort that predicts cases in which depressive symptoms should increase or decrease effort. Because depressive symptoms can influence task-difficulty appraisals-people see tasks as subjectively harder-people high in depressive symptoms should engage higher effort at objectively easier levels of difficulty but also quit sooner. A sample of adults completed a mental effort challenge with four levels of difficulty, from very easy to difficult-but-feasible. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the CESD and DASS; effort-related cardiac activity was assessed via markers of contractility (e.g., the cardiac pre-ejection period [PEP]) obtained with impedance cardiography. The findings supported the theory's predictions. When the task was relatively easier, people high in depressive symptoms showed higher contractility (shorter PEP), consistent with greater effort. When the task was relatively harder, people high in depressive symptoms showed diminished contractility, consistent with quitting. The results suggest that past research has been observing a small part of a larger trajectory of trying and quitting, and they illustrate the value of a theoretically grounded analysis of depressive symptoms and effort-related cardiac activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States.
| | - Zuzana Mironovová
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States
| | - Ashley N McHone
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States
| | - Sarah H Sperry
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States
| | - Kelly L Harper
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States
| | - Thomas R Kwapil
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States
| | - Kari M Eddington
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States
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Agtarap SD, Wright RA, Mlynski C, Hammad R, Blackledge S. Success importance and urge magnitude as determinants of cardiovascular response to a behavioral restraint challenge. Int J Psychophysiol 2016; 102:18-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Gupta N, Irwin JD. In-class distractions: The role of Facebook and the primary learning task. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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15
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Richter M, Gendolla G, Wright R. Three Decades of Research on Motivational Intensity Theory. ADVANCES IN MOTIVATION SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.adms.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Wright RA, Agtarap SD, Mlynski C. Conversion of Reactance Motives Into Effortful Goal Pursuit. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PSYCHOLOGIE-JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. As originally formulated, Brehm’s theory of psychological reactance posited two manifestations of reactance, (1) an increased desire to exercise the threaten freedom, and (2) an increased tendency to exercise that freedom. The theory included no statement about what determines the intensity of reactant striving, although many have assumed that striving intensity should be proportional to the magnitude of reactance, that is, the strength of the reactance motive. Conceptual links between Brehm’s reactance theory and his later theory of motivation intensity have rarely been made. However, the motivation intensity theory in fact has important implications for how reactance motives should convert into effortful goal pursuit. This article identifies central motivation intensity theory implications and discusses in summary a body of evidence that bears them out, albeit indirectly. The broad indication is that reactance should increase the willingness to deploy effort in the interest of restoring or confirming freedoms, with the conversion of willingness into action depending on what can, will, and must be done to achieve these ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rex A. Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, USA
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17
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Vinkers CDW, Adriaanse MA, Kroese FM, de Ridder DTD. The role of pre-treatment proactive coping skills in successful weight management. Eat Behav 2014; 15:515-8. [PMID: 25090599 DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2013] [Revised: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Proactive coping encompasses future-oriented self-regulatory skills that help people prepare for future difficulties before they occur, such as planning and monitoring. The aim of the present study was to examine the interplay between pre-treatment proactive coping skills and expected difficulties during weight loss in determining successful weight management. METHOD Obese and overweight Dutch adults (N=119) who enrolled in a weight management intervention reported their level of proactive coping skills and expected difficulties at the start of intervention. Two months later, weight loss was assessed via self-report. RESULTS The results show that the detrimental effects of a low level of proactive coping skills were compensated by the expectation that many difficulties would accompany the weight loss attempt. Also, pre-treatment proactive coping skills did not predict weight loss success above and beyond self-efficacy and socio-demographic factors (e.g., gender). CONCLUSION It is concluded that future-oriented self-regulatory skills and beliefs about impending difficulties at the start of intervention may have predictive value for subsequent success in weight management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marieke A Adriaanse
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Floor M Kroese
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Denise T D de Ridder
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
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Silvia PJ, Nusbaum EC, Eddington KM, Beaty RE, Kwapil TR. Effort Deficits and Depression: The Influence of Anhedonic Depressive Symptoms on Cardiac Autonomic Activity During a Mental Challenge. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2014; 38:779-789. [PMID: 25431505 DOI: 10.1007/s11031-014-9443-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Motivational approaches to depression emphasize the role of dysfunctional motivational dynamics, particularly diminished reward and incentive processes associated with anhedonia. A study examined how anhedonic depressive symptoms, measured continuously across a wide range of severity, influenced the physiological mobilization of effort during a cognitive task. Using motivational intensity theory as a guide, we expected that the diminished incentive value associated with anhedonic depressive symptoms would reduce effort during a "do your best" challenge (also known as an unfixed or self-paced challenge), in which effort is a function of the value of achieving the task's goal. Using impedance cardiography, two cardiac autonomic responses were assessed: pre-ejection period (PEP), a measure of sympathetic activity and our primary measure of interest, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of parasympathetic activity. As expected, PEP slowed from baseline to task as anhedonic depressive symptoms increased (as measured with the DASS Depression scale), indicating diminished effort-related sympathetic activity. No significant effects appeared for RSA. The findings support motivational intensity theory as a translational model of effort processes in depression and clarify some inconsistent effects of depressive symptoms on effort-related physiology found in past work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Emily C Nusbaum
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Kari M Eddington
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Roger E Beaty
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Thomas R Kwapil
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
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Ainley V, Maister L, Brokfeld J, Farmer H, Tsakiris M. More of myself: Manipulating interoceptive awareness by heightened attention to bodily and narrative aspects of the self. Conscious Cogn 2013; 22:1231-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Hirschi A, Lee B, Porfeli EJ, Vondracek FW. Proactive motivation and engagement in career behaviors: Investigating direct, mediated, and moderated effects. JOURNAL OF VOCATIONAL BEHAVIOR 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2013.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Silvia PJ, Moore LC, Nardello JL. Trying and Quitting: How Self-focused Attention Influences Effort During Difficult and Impossible Tasks. SELF AND IDENTITY 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2013.796086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Wright RA, Patrick BM, Thomas C, Barreto P. When fatigue promotes striving: Confirmation that success importance moderates resource depletion influence on effort-related cardiovascular response. Biol Psychol 2013; 93:316-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Silvia PJ, Eddington KM, Beaty RE, Nusbaum EC, Kwapil TR. Gritty people try harder: grit and effort-related cardiac autonomic activity during an active coping challenge. Int J Psychophysiol 2013; 88:200-5. [PMID: 23603450 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2013.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Grit, a recently proposed personality trait associated with persistence for long-range goals, predicts achievement in a wide range of important life outcomes. Using motivational intensity theory, the present research examined the physiological underpinnings of grit during an active coping task. Forty young adults completed the Short Grit Scale and worked on a self-paced mental effort task. Effort-related autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity was assessed using impedance cardiography, which yielded measures of sympathetic activity (pre-ejection period; PEP) and parasympathetic activity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA). Multilevel models revealed that people high on the Perseverance of Effort subscale showed autonomic coactivation: both PEP and RSA became stronger during the task, reflecting higher activity of both ANS divisions. The Consistency of Interest subscale, in contrast, predicted only weaker sympathetic activity (slower PEP). Taken together, the findings illuminate autonomic processes associated with how "gritty" people pursue goals, and they suggest that more attention should be paid to the facets' distinct effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
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Silvia PJ, Kelly CS, Zibaie A, Nardello JL, Moore LC. Trait self-focused attention increases sensitivity to nonconscious primes: evidence from effort-related cardiovascular reactivity. Int J Psychophysiol 2013; 88:143-8. [PMID: 23524197 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2013.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A broad range of primes presented outside of awareness - ranging from emotional faces to people's first names - can influence the physiological mobilization of effort during active coping tasks. Who responds more strongly to implicit cues? Based on models of self-awareness, the present research examined how individual differences in self-focused attention influence sensitivity to nonconscious primes. Adults completed a challenging cognitive task in which two kinds of primes were presented (people's first names and words related to the task's difficulty). Trait self-focus significantly interacted with both primes to predict effort, measured as systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity. People high in trait self-focus had significantly higher SBP reactivity when primed with words that made the task seem more important (their first names) and harder (high difficulty words). These findings thus expand the evidence for motivational intensity theory's analysis of implicit processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
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Lleras A, Buetti S, Mordkoff JT. When Do the Effects of Distractors Provide a Measure of Distractibility? PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-407187-2.00007-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Silvia PJ, Phillips AG. Self-Awareness Without Awareness? Implicit Self-Focused Attention and Behavioral Self-Regulation. SELF AND IDENTITY 2012; 12:114-127. [PMID: 23226716 DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2011.639550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Objective self-awareness theory contends that focusing attention on the self initiates an automatic comparison of self to standards. To gain evidence for automatic self-standard comparison processes, two experiments manipulated attention to self with subliminal first-name priming. People completed a computer-based parity task after being instructed that the standard was to be fast or to be accurate. Subliminal first name priming increased behavioral adherence to the explicit standard. When told to be fast, self-focused people made more mistakes and had faster response times; when told to be accurate, self-focused people made fewer mistakes. A manipulation of conscious self-awareness (via a mirror) had the same self-regulatory effects. The findings suggest that comparing self to standards can occur automatically and that it is attention to self, not awareness of the self per se, that evokes self-evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
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Silvia PJ. Mirrors, masks, and motivation: implicit and explicit self-focused attention influence effort-related cardiovascular reactivity. Biol Psychol 2012; 90:192-201. [PMID: 22504295 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 03/07/2012] [Accepted: 03/21/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Using motivational intensity theory as a framework, three experiments examined how implicit self-focus (manipulated with masked first-name priming) and explicit self-focus (manipulated with a large mirror) influence effort-related cardiovascular activity, particularly systolic blood pressure reactivity. Theories of self-focused attention suggest that both implicit and explicit self-focus bring about self-evaluation and thus make meeting a goal more important. For a "do your best" task of unfixed difficulty, implicit and explicit self-focus both increased effort (Experiment 1) compared to a control condition. For a task that varied in difficulty, implicit and explicit self-focus promoted more effort as the task became increasingly hard (Experiments 2 and 3). Taken together, the findings suggest that implicit and explicit self-processes share a similar motivational architecture. The discussion explores the value of integrating motivational intensity theory with self-awareness theory and considers the emerging interest in implicit aspects of effort regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 27402-6170, USA.
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Silvia PJ, Jones HC, Kelly CS, Zibaie A. Masked first name priming increases effort-related cardiovascular reactivity. Int J Psychophysiol 2011; 80:210-6. [PMID: 21439332 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2011.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2011] [Revised: 03/09/2011] [Accepted: 03/15/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent research on motivational intensity has shown that explicit manipulations of self-focused attention (e.g., mirrors and video cameras) increase effort-related cardiovascular responses during active coping. An experiment examined whether masked first name priming, an implicit manipulation of self-focused attention, had similar effects. Participants (n=52 young adults) performed a self-paced cognitive task, in which they were told to get as many trials correct as possible within 5min. During the task, the participant's first name was primed for 0%, 33%, 67%, or 100% of the trials. First name priming, regardless of its frequency, significantly increased cardiovascular reactivity, particularly systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity. Furthermore, the priming manipulation interacted with individual differences in trait self-focus: trait self-focus predicted higher SBP reactivity in the 0% condition, but first name priming eliminated the effects of individual differences. Implications for self-awareness research and for the emerging interest in priming effects on effort are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro NC 27402-6170, USA.
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Trait self-focused attention, task difficulty, and effort-related cardiovascular reactivity. Int J Psychophysiol 2010; 79:335-40. [PMID: 21145360 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2010] [Revised: 11/19/2010] [Accepted: 11/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Using motivational intensity theory as a framework, the present experiment examined how individual differences in self-focused attention interact with task difficulty to predict effort, assessed via cardiovascular reactivity. Participants (n = 50) worked on a cognitive task fixed at an easy, medium, or hard level of difficulty, and individual differences in private self-consciousness and self-reflection were measured. Regression models indicated that trait self-focus interacted with task difficulty to predict cardiovascular reactivity, particularly systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity. Participants low and high in trait self-focus showed similar SBP reactivity in the easy and medium conditions, but they diverged in the hard condition: High trait focus was associated with higher SBP reactivity, indicating greater effort, whereas low trait self-focus was associated with low SBP reactivity, indicating disengagement. The findings thus support the motivational intensity approach to effort and its interpretation of self-focus's role in effort mobilization.
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