Roy Baumeister - Willpower: Self-Control, Decision Fatigue, and Energy Depletion

A new understanding of how people control themselves has emerged from the past decade of research studies. Self-control depends on a limited energy supply, and each person's willpower fluctuates during the day as various events deplete and then replenish it. Decision-making and creative initiative also deplete the same willpower supply, while eating and sleeping can restore it. Some circumstances propel people to perform well despite depleted willpower, including power and leadership roles, local incentives, and personal beliefs.
Dr. Roy Baumeister is the Eppes Professor of Psychology and Head of Social Psychology Graduate Training Program. He grew up in Cleveland, the oldest child of a schoolteacher and an immigrant businessman. He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Princeton in 1978. At Case Western Reserve University, he was the first to hold the Elsie Smith professorship. He has also worked at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Texas, the University of Virginia, the Max-Planck-Institute, and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
Dr. Baumeister's research spans multiple topics, including self and identity, self-regulation, interpersonal rejection and the need to belong, sexuality and gender, aggression, self-esteem, meaning, and self-presentation. He has received research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and from the Templeton Foundation. He has over 400 publications, including 22 books.
The Institute for Scientific Information lists Dr. Baumeister among the handful of most cited (most influential) psychologists in the world. He lives by a small lake in Florida with his beloved family. In his rare spare time, he enjoys windsurfing, skiing, and jazz guitar.

[@Aaron-un8so]

Great stuff.

[@japandata]

Excellent research. I really like what he said. I don't see the relationship to ADHD commented on by others. The speaker seemed to be talking more about what the science was able to prove and wasn't talking about ADHD in particular. I really enjoyed the talk.

[@Eddygordo01]

Thanks a lot ....i finally downloaded this video on my Pc

[@wnd3mc1998]

I’d love to see how people that use David Allen’s getting things done method score on self control tests. Storing all your choices and things to do in your mind makes you really inefficient.

[@gmodufuwa1981]

I think this pertains to ADHD because the more choices one has the less self control. ADHD children have a hard time focusing and other things. If they don't have to choose what to wear and what to eat and other things they can spend more time focusing and choosing to do school work.

[@gmodufuwa1981]

Also if you que the vid to 29:30 and listen the vid talks about following different rules etc. That can pertain to ADHD.

[@kiwidenk]

By far most constructive recent science I can think of, still, even though he says willpower is limited, I think something needs to be said about taking it too far. There is ancient wisdom to many of our impulses. I suspect the happy medium,as usual, is the way to go, the middle way between the extremes of complete self-control and totally letting go may be wisest path. Exactly what this would mean in practice I'm not at all sure but it is very interesting to think about. Also seems to me willpower, self control/regulation can mean opposite things: responsibly limiting yourself on the one hand, but most people probably would say a very rich or powerful person, or a great mountain climber, got to the top from exceptional willpower. It seems arguable that while this is probably true in ways but they may have a power, money or glory addiction, in other words an utter lack of self control in certain respects. Seems to me this confusion needs to be addressed. Cheers

[@VOLightPortal]

When Baumeister said that people who do fasting don't have better self control due to depleted glucose, isn't he missing that perhaps the link to that is due to ketone production from the breakdown of fat, which would supply the brain with the energy it needs to maintain will power?

[@JohnBastardSnow]

VOLightPortal I'm also interested in that. If ketones are as effective as glucose for self-control management, then MCT oil (or coconut oil) should boost self-control in people who have insulin sensitivity. AFAIR, full ketosis is not achieved for several days, even if you eat nothing.

[@onthegotv6276]

I don't agree with that I fast 16 hours a day, it builds your willpower at least for overeating, which helped in other departments

[@JohnBastardSnow]

Liamthegreat2008 If that would be the case then you would die after several days without food. Brain can and does use ketones for energy when they are available. Fat can't be converted to glucose, only protein can. Some cells (like red blood cells) don't have mitochondria, so they can't use ketones for energy production. They depend on steady levels of glucose in the blood. When you stop consuming food only sources of glucose for those cells become amino acids, which come from protein. Protein is very valuable, because breaking it down means cannibalizing muscles, tissues and eventually organs. This is why other cells shift to fat burning to preserve protein, neurons included.

[@Liamthegreat2008]

This is very interesting research that I'm looking at, I apologize for dealing in absolutes.

[@eirintowne]

Most of this is excellent, but it's hard to stomach the opinions about ADHD he states in the question section. Why so much compassion and understanding for diabetes, and so little for people with ADHD?