Examinations of change in inhibitory and initiatory Self-Control in the context of endurance running

Abstract

Endurance activities provide a key context for positive development. Using data from a longitudinal study of 398 adolescents and emerging adults participating in a charity marathon event, this study examined the multidimensionality of self-control, documented longitudinal change in inhibitory and initiatory self-control across program participation, and examined associations between inhibitory and initiatory self-control and sport performance. Initiatory self-control evidenced significant declines across the course of training and running the endurance race. Initial levels of initiatory self-control predicted faster race times, whereas initial levels of inhibitory control and declines in initiatory self-control predicted worse performance. Changes in both aspects of self-control differed based on the types of contingencies of self-worth runners reported. Results highlight the predictive utility of multidimensional accounts of self-control for program outcomes. Findings advance understanding of how involvement in sporting contexts contribute to within-person change in some, but not all, aspects of self-control.

 Lay summary: The present study investigated the impact of marathon running on self-control in adolescents. Findings suggest that marathon running affected “start control” and “stop control” differently. Sources from which adolescents derived their self-worth mattered; those who based their self-worth on performance had lower levels of self-control than those who based their self-worth on virtues.

Implications for practice

• A multidimensional view of self-control may help coaches and practitioners develop personalized strategies for young people to restrain from counterproductive behaviors and engage in activities consistent with goal attainment.

• Performance-enhancement strategies may be particularly strengthened by efforts to help sustain initiatory self-control over the course of training for an endurance event.

• Character and virtue development through sports may depend on the messages that young people internalize about where they derive their self-worth.

Acknowledgments

This publication was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Notes

1 Given the inclusion of random effects because of individually varying time points, standardized coefficients and R² values were not available in Mplus. Following recommendations by (Muthén, 2007), we estimated these values from unconditional models: The standardized coefficients are as follows: Competition SW predicted initiatory self-control (β = –0.14) and inhibitory self-control (β = –0.15), virtue SW predicting initiatory self-control (β = 0.13) and inhibitory self-control (β = 0.16); the intercept (β = –0.15) and slope (β = 0.40) of initiatory self-control and the intercept (β = –0.17) and slope (β = –0.26) of inhibitory self-control predicted marathon performance. The R² value of marathon performance was 0.34.