Effects of situational attributions on mental and physical fatigue

Abstract

Strength models of self-regulation assume that depletion of a limited cognitive resource may impair performance on subsequent tasks requiring that resource (Baumeister et al., 1999) but multiple resource models assume that external influences or cues (situational attributions) may help moderate performance (Clarkson et al., 2010). Resource attribution hypothesis predicts that people who are physically or emotionally fatigued (ego depleted) will still be able to self-regulate if they have useful situational attributions for their performance but strength models predict that situational attributions will not help self-regulation. 29 women from the UCO Track and Field team performed physical and mental tasks requiring physical and mental perseverance (e.g., completing a routine training session, letter elimination task, and anagram task); the dependent variable was duration of perseverance. Half received a situational attribution (placebo) and half did not. Results supported a multiple resource model (resource attribution hypothesis).--Abstract.