Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited-resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative
Vohs and colleagues tested the idea that making many choices impairs later self-control, on the view that decision making draws on the same resource as self-regulation. In laboratory studies some participants chose among consumer goods or college courses while others only thought about the same options. Choosing led to less physical stamina, less persistence after failure, more procrastination and poorer arithmetic work. A field study found the same direction among shoppers who reported more earlier decision making, and further studies found that choosing depletes more than deliberating or implementing someone else's choice, and that expecting the task to be enjoyable reduced the effect for early choices but not for many.
Vohs and colleagues tested the idea that making many choices impairs later self-control, on the view that decision making draws on the same resource as self-regulation. In laboratory studies some participants chose among consumer goods or college courses while others only thought about the same options. Choosing led to less physical stamina, less persistence after failure, more procrastination and poorer arithmetic work. A field study found the same direction among shoppers who reported more earlier decision making, and further studies found that choosing depletes more than deliberating or implementing someone else's choice, and that expecting the task to be enjoyable reduced the effect for early choices but not for many.
Written from the abstract read 2026-10-25 via OpenAlex.
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Vohs, K. D., Baumeister, R. F., Schmeichel, B. J., Twenge, J. M., Nelson, N. M., & Tice, D. M. (2008). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited-resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(5), 883-898. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.94.5.883