Is the Letter Cancellation Task a Suitable Index of Ego 					Depletion?

Abstract. The aim was to quantify ego depletion and measure its effect on inhibitory control. Adults ( N = 523) received the letter “e” cancellation ego depletion task and were subsequently tested on Stroop task performance. Difficulty of the cancellation task was systematically manipulated by modifying the text from semantically meaningful to non-meaningful sentences and words (Experiment 1) and by increasing ego depletion rule complexity (Experiment 2). Participants’ performance was affected by both text and rule manipulations. There was no relation between ego depletion task performance and subsequent Stroop performance. Thus, irrespective of the difficulty of the ego depletion task, Stroop performance was unaffected. The widely used cancellation task may not be a suitable inducer of ego depletion if ego depletion is considered as a lack of inhibitory control.

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The Ego Could Be Depleted, Providing Initial Exertion Is Depleting

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335/a000308 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 242-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Junhua Dang ◽

Ying Liu ◽

Xiaoping Liu ◽

Lihua Mao

Keyword(s):

Stroop Task ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Ego Depletion ◽

Current Experiment ◽

The Past ◽

Depletion Effect

Abstract. The ego depletion effect has been examined by over 300 independent studies during the past two decades. Despite its pervasive influence, recently this effect has been severely challenged and asserted to be a fake. Based on an up-to-date meta-analysis that examined the effectiveness of each frequently used depleting task, we preregistered the current experiment with the aim to examine whether there would be an ego depletion effect when the Stroop task is used as the depleting task. The results demonstrated a significant ego depletion effect. The current research highlights the importance of the depleting task’s effectiveness. That is to say, the “ego” could be “depleted,” but only when initial exertion is “depleting.”

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The effect of high-frequency rTMS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on the resolution of response, semantic and task conflict in the colour-word Stroop task

Brain Structure and Function ◽

10.1007/s00429-021-02237-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin A. Parris ◽

Michael G. Wadsley ◽

Gizem Arabaci ◽

Nabil Hasshim ◽

Maria Augustinova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Task Performance ◽

Stroop Task ◽

Word Reading ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Task Conflict ◽

General Effect ◽

Task Set ◽

Left Dlpfc ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal

AbstractPrevious work investigating the effect of rTMS of left Dorso-Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) on Stroop task performance reports no changes to the Stroop effect but reduced reaction times on both congruent and incongruent trials relative to sham stimulation; an effect attributed to an enhanced attentional (or task) set for colour classification. The present study tested this account by investigating whether, relative to vertex stimulation, rTMS of the left DLPFC modifies task conflict, a form of conflict that arises when task sets for colour classification and word reading compete, given that this particular type of conflict would be reduced by an enhanced task set for colour classification. Furthermore, the present study included measures of other forms of conflict present in the Stroop task (response and semantic conflict), the potential effects on which would have been hidden in previous studies employing only incongruent and congruent stimuli. Our data showed that left DLPFC stimulation had no effect on the magnitude of task conflict, nor did it affect response, semantic or overall conflict (where the null is supported by sensitive Bayes Factors in most cases). However, consistent with previous research left DLPFC stimulation had the general effect of reducing reaction times. We, therefore, show for the first time that relative to real vertex stimulation left DLPFC stimulation does not modify Stroop interference. Alternative accounts of the role of the left DLPFC in Stroop task performance in which it either modifies response thresholds or facilitates responding by keeping the correct response keys active in working memory are discussed.

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A preliminary investigation on the relationship between color-word Stroop task performance and delusion-proneness in nonpsychiatric adults

Psychiatry Research ◽

10.1016/j.psychres.2008.09.001 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 175 (1-2) ◽

pp. 27-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Diana M. Orem ◽

Jeffrey S. Bedwell

Keyword(s):

Task Performance ◽

Stroop Task ◽

Color Word ◽

Preliminary Investigation ◽

The Relationship

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Associations Between Smoking Abstinence, Inhibitory Control, and Smoking Behavior: An fMRI Study

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.592443 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Spencer Bell ◽

Brett Froeliger

Keyword(s):

Task Performance ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Smoking Behavior ◽

Smoking Abstinence ◽

Monetary Rewards ◽

Fmri Study ◽

Main Effect ◽

The Right ◽

Post Hoc

Nicotine addiction is associated with dysregulated inhibitory control (IC), mediated by corticothalamic circuitry including the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). Among sated smokers, worse IC task performance and greater IC-related rIFG activity have been shown to be associated with greater relapse vulnerability. The present study investigated the effects of smoking abstinence on associations between IC task performance, rIFG activation, and smoking behavior. Smokers (N = 26, 15 female) completed an IC task (Go/Go/No-go) during fMRI scanning followed by a laboratory-based smoking relapse analog task (SRT) on two visits: once when sated and once following 24 h of smoking abstinence. During the SRT, smokers were provided with monetary rewards for incrementally delaying smoking. A significant main effect of No-go accuracy on latency to smoke during the SRT was observed when collapsing across smoking states (abstinent vs. sated). Similarly, a significant main effect of IC-related activation in rIFG on SRT performance was observed across states. The main effect of state, however, was non-significant in both of these models. Furthermore, the interaction between smoking state and No-go accuracy on SRT performance was non-significant, indicating a similar relationship between IC and lapse vulnerability under both sated and abstinent conditions. The state X rIFG activation interaction on SRT performance was likewise non-significant. Post-hoc whole brain analyses indicated that abstinence resulted in greater IC-related activity in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and insula. Activation during IC in these regions was significantly associated with decreased No-go accuracy. Moreover, greater abstinence induced activity in right MFG during IC was associated with smoking sooner on the SRT. These findings are bolstered by the extant literature on the effects of nicotine on executive function and also contribute novel insights on how individual differences in behavioral and neuroimaging measures of IC may influence relapse propensity independent of smoking state.

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Searching for the bottom of the ego well: Failure to uncover ego depletion in Many Labs 3

10.31234/osf.io/ja2kb ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Miguel A. Vadillo ◽

Natalie Gold ◽

Magda Osman

Keyword(s):

Stroop Task ◽

Secondary Task ◽

Large Scale ◽

Limited Resource ◽

Ego Depletion ◽

Self Control ◽

Significant Evidence ◽

Heated Debate ◽

The Subject ◽

Optimal Measure

According to a popular model of self-control, willpower depends on a limited resource that can be depleted when we perform a task demanding self-control. Over the last five years, the reliability of the empirical evidence supporting this model has become the subject of heated debate. In the present study, we reanalysed data from a large-scale study –Many Labs 3– to test whether performing a depleting task has any effect on a secondary task that also relies on self-control. Although we used a large sample of more than 2,000 participants for our analyses, we did not find any significant evidence of ego-depletion: Persistence on an anagram solving task (a typical measure of self-control) was not affected by previous completion of a Stroop task (a typical depleting task in this literature). Our results suggest that persistence in anagram solving may not be an optimal measure to test depletion effects.

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