Writing about a core value helped people keep going after self-control effort

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   256 university students took part in four lab experiments. About a third to a half of each experiment were men.

2. 02

   What they did

   Students first wrote a story, and some had to avoid two common letters, which took effort. Then they wrote about their top value, while other groups wrote about a less important value or someone else's values. Afterwards, everyone did a cold-water test, a number puzzle or a waiting game.

3. 03

   What happened

   After a tiring task, people who wrote about a core value kept at a puzzle for about 753 seconds. Others kept at it for about 415 seconds. The cold-water and waiting results appeared only after the letter rule, and the broader-thinking idea is lightly tested.

What the study found

1. HelpedFocus

   After a tiring task, people who wrote about a core value kept at a puzzle longer than others did.

   • Action: Clarify what matters to youtested

   Randomised trial of 256 university students in four experiments · vs people who wrote about someone else's values · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

2. HelpedOther outcomes

   After a hard rule, people who wrote why a value matters scored higher in a waiting game than others did.

   • Action: Clarify what matters to youtested

   Randomised trial of 256 university students in four experiments · vs people who wrote how they pursue a value · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

Source