Effects of Practicing Self-Control on Academic Performance

Research has suggested that regular practice can improve self-control, usually indicated by self-report measures assessed during or shortly after the practice intervention. The present study looked at objectively measured end-of-year grade point average (GPA) as the focal outcome of a self-control training intervention. Participants in the self-control training conditions squeezed a handgrip twice a day for 2 weeks. To isolate placebo effects, we manipulated expectations about the effect of the training. Compared to a no-treatment control condition, participants in both self-control training conditions earned higher GPAs, and they reported spending more hours with study-related activities 4 weeks prior to the exams. The effects were mediated by reduced study-related effort avoidance but not by increased inhibitory control or resistance to fatigue. The results indicate that practicing self-control may have long-term effects on academic performance and provide first evidence for a motivational mechanism.