Feb 19 & 24

Question 1

resource model of self control

Answer 1

dominant model, developed in the 90s

relies on idea that self control is a limited resource

Question 2

self control

Answer 2

suppression or overriding of

automatic, habitual or innate

behaviours, urges, desires or emotions

that might disrupt goal-directed actions

Question 3

according to the strength/resource model of self-control, all acts of self-control draw on a…

Answer 3

central and limited resource

Question 4

ego-depletion

Answer 4

exerting self-control IN ONE DOMAIN DEPLETES the ability to exert it in another domain

Question 5

classic research on ego depletion SETUP

Answer 5

have Ps come in for a study ostensible about taste perception

tell them to skip a meal beforehand - so they’re hungry

2 foods on the table - choc chip cookies or radishes

MANIPULATION: assigned to eat either a few cookies or a few radishes

Ps in radish condition have a hard time - clear interest in the cookies, they sniff them and look at them longingly

then there’s an “unrelated” puzzle task afterwards

Question 6

classic research on ego depletion RESULTS

Answer 6

radish eaters made FEWER ATTEMPTS on the puzzle task

they GAVE UP SOONER than choc chip eaters and controls

Question 7

Obama quote on avoiding ego-depletion

Answer 7

“you’ll see I wear only grey or blue suits. i’m trying to pare down decisions. i don’t want to make decisions about what i’m eating or wearing. because i have too many other decisions to make”

Question 8

challenges to strength/resource model of self-control

Answer 8

many studies challenge the idea that self-control is a finite resource

Question 9

3 challenges to the idea that self-control is a finite resource

Answer 9

1. MOTIVATION can override depletion effects
2. BELIEFS about depletion shape performance
3. IMPLICIT theories of willpower matter

Question 10

perhaps ego-depletion is less about ABILITY and more about…

Answer 10

WILLINGNESS to exert effort

Question 11

challenge to theory: motivation can override depletion effects

Answer 11

people perform JUST AS WELL when given INCENTIVES (ie. money)

or when the EXPERIMENTER is WARM and SUPPORTIVE

Question 12

challenge to theory: beliefs about depletion shape performance

Answer 12

if people are TOLD a task was MENTALLY EXHAUSTING, they struggle more afterward

if told it was ENERGIZING, they perform fine

Question 13

challenge to theory: implicit theories of willpower matter

Answer 13

those who BELIEVE willpower is UNLIMITED don’t show depletion effects

Question 14

resource theory of self-control - empirical challenges

Answer 14

Hagger et al 2010
- large meta-analysis found a moderate effect size, suggesting that exerting self control on one task impairs performance on subsequent tasks requiring self control

but then Carter & McCullough 2014
- re-examined the data and argued that PUBLICATION BIAS INFLATED the effect size
- when adjusting for bias, the EFFECT SHRUNK to NEARLY ZERO, suggesting that ego-depletion may not be a robust phenomenon

Hagger et all 2016
- conducted a large scale, multi-lab replication with over 2000 Ps using a standardized depletion task
- FOUND NO SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE FOR EGO DEPLETION

Question 15

resource theory of self-control: a conceptual crisis?

Answer 15

1. lack of clear definitions
2. circular task selection & lack of validation

Question 16

resource theory of self-control: LACK OF CLEAR DEFINITIONS

Answer 16

self-control is often described VAGUELY (inhibition, control, modification of behaviour)

this makes it HARD TO MEASURE consistently

Question 17

resource theory of self-control: CIRCULAR TASK SELECTION & LACK OF VALIDATION

Answer 17

1. many studies justify tasks SIMPLY because they’ve BEEN USED BEFORE, even though they VARY WIDELY in cognitive demands
2. many self-control tasks HAVEN’T BEEN EMPIRICALLY TESTED to ensure they actually measure self-control
3. the SAME TASK is sometimes labeled as a DEPLETION task in one study and a CONTROL task in another

Question 18

ego depletion in the real world setup

Answer 18

hand hygiene compliance in hospitals

data from 4000+ healthcare workers, 35 hospitals, 13.7 million hand hygiene opportunities

Question 19

ego depletion in the real world results

Answer 19

1. compliance rates dropped by 8.7% points from the START TO THE END of a typical 12-hour shift

(higher work intensity led to steeper declines in compliance)

2. longer BREAKS between shifts helped RESTORE compliance

(especially for workers who had lower compliance before their break)

3. CUMULATIVE WORK HOURS mattered

(both the decline in compliance during a shift and the benefit of breaks were stronger for those who worked more total hours in the preceding week)