The Path of Least Resistance: How Task Aversion Relates to Self-Control Success

Abstract

Successful self-controllers thrive in life using effortless strategies to help them work effectively towards their long-term goals. However, little is known about why they do not experience their way to success effortful, unlike unsuccessful self-controllers. A recent study suggests that successful self-controllers are better at performing the behaviours necessary to attain a goal because they appraise these behaviours as less aversive (Gillebaart & Kroese, 2020). We replicated and extended this research in two online self-report studies, hypothesizing that self-control and task aversion would predict the subsequent performance of goal-directed behaviours related to physical exercise, study/work (Study 1) and healthy eating (Study 1 & 2) over three days of active goal pursuit. Additionally, we hypothesized in an online randomised controlled trial (Study 2) that a goal-analysis intervention would be an effective tool for reducing aversive task appraisals and would facilitate subsequent self control success in pursuing a healthy eating goal. Mediation analyses from both studies provided no evidence that successful self-controllers engage more frequently or longer in goal-directed behaviours, because they perceive these behaviours as less aversive to begin with. Furthermore, a mixed design ANOVA revealed no decrease in task aversion after completing a goal-analysis intervention prior to pursuing a healthy eating goal. However, all participants reported less aversive appraisals towards healthy eating after three days of active goal pursuit. These results insights for the role of task aversion in the context of self-control success, showing that aversive task appraisals will naturally become more positive once people start working towards their goals.