If we are sure that we want something, we are willing to put in a lot of effort to get it. If not, we hesitate to commit to a task. A study now provides evidence that belief in one’s own will could actually move mountains and that it gives us strength when we master a difficult task, including all the hurdles.
Three psychologists and one psychologist had set up three correlation studies and one experiment. A total of around 1,800 people were asked to solve a mathematical problem on the computer. This was offered in different levels of difficulty. The test subjects decided for themselves whether they chose the difficult or easy variants.
Previously, it was measured whether the people considered themselves to be strong-willed and believed that solving the tasks would encourage them to continue. In addition, the people’s mathematical self-concept was recorded and compared.
As the research team writes, being confident in your own willpower is probably a significant advantage for long-term goals. Anyone who avoids a challenging and prolonged activity and thinks that it will quickly exhaust them should ask themselves whether they really want to do the activity. If not, it could lead to you overexerting yourself on something that might not be good for you – because you ultimately don’t want it.
source
Mlynski, C. et al. (2026). Lay beliefs of willpower shape individuals’ propensity to approach or avoid effortful tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. DOI: 10.1037/xge0001885
Your feedback on this article to the editors
Article on the topic
Aha! When the penny drops
You think about a problem or task for a long time – and suddenly the solution is there! I have no idea how it came to you. But one thing is certain: she didn’t come…
Is humanity getting smarter?
For 100 years, people have been doing better and better on intelligence tests. The meaning of the so-called Flynn effect is not yet completely clear.
Are there actually people who particularly enjoy thinking intensively? Probably not, as a study suggests.
