Self-Control and its Influence on Global/Local Processing: An Investigation of the Role of Frontal Alpha Asymmetry and Dispositional Approach Tendencies

Abstract

People often inhibit or override their dominant response tendencies in order to complete tasks successfully. Exerting such self-control has been shown to influence attentional breadth differently depending on an individual’s approach-motivated tendencies, as indexed by individuals’ Behavioural Activation System (BAS) scores. Approach motivation and attentional breadth have previously been associated with frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA; i.e., lateralized cortical activity in the frontal regions) where greater left-frontal activation is associated with greater approach motivation and reduced attentional breadth. The process model of self-control posits that exercising self-control leads to a subsequent increase in approach behaviour in high BAS individuals, and this could be due to a shift towards left-hemisphere-frontal processing. However, no one has yet measured BAS, FAA, and attentional breadth together under conditions of high and low self-control. This was the first study to examine both FAA and attentional breadth before and after exercising self-control in low and high BAS individuals. Greater BAS, and greater difficulty exercising self-control, both positively related to narrowed attentional breadth, but only after exercising self-control. Breadth of attention and BAS were unrelated to FAA at rest, before versus after self-control, suggesting that the influence of self-control on individuals’ attentional breadth was not associated with FAA. Overall, results from this study suggest that exercising self-control influences attentional breadth differently depending on individuals’ BAS scores, but not because of individual differences or changes in FAA.