불굴의 의지로 극복하라는 말은 뇌과학을 이해하면 쓸 수 없을 것이다. 의지력의 고갈을 다룬 재미있는 실험을 소개합니다.
한 번 터보를 쏘듯 의지력을 발휘하면 유혹에 약해 바로 넘어가기 쉽다.
Psychol Sci. 2000 May;11(3):249-54.
Self-regulatory failure: a resource-depletion approach.
Abstract
Three studies were conducted to test the behavioral consequences of effortful self-regulation. Individuals with chronic inhibitions about eating were exposed to situations varying in level of self-regulatory demand. Subsequently, participants’ ability to self-regulate was measured. Two studies manipulated self-regulatory demand by exposing participants to good-tasting snack foods, whereas a third study required participants to control their emotional expressions. As hypothesized, exerting self-control during the first task led to decrements in self-control on a subsequent task. Moreover, these effects were not due to changes in affective state and occurred only when self-control was required in the first task. These findings are explained in terms of depletion of self-regulatory resources, which impairs successful volitional control.
