Setting Goals: Self-control Flashcards
Self control
suppression or overridding of automatic, habitual, or innate behaviours, urges, desires, emotions that might disrupt goal directed
What does the strength model of self-control suggest?
all acts of self-control draw on a central, limited resource
What is ego-depletion?
Exerting self-control in one domain depletes the ability to exert it in another
People had to choose between eating a radish and a cookie, those who chose the radish (exerted self control) struggled to keep trying at a puzzle.
Radish eaters made fewer attempts and gave ip sooner than chocolate chip eaters and control participants.
What are the theoretical and empirical challenges to the strength model of self-control?
THEORETICAL
Suggests self-control is a finite resource, but studies challenge this idea
Motivation can override depletion effects
Ex. people perform just as well when given incentives (money)
Beliefs about depletion shape performance
If people are told a task was mentally exhausting theu struggle more afterward, if told it was energizing, they perform fine.
Implicit theories of willpower matter
Those who believe willpower is unlimited don’t show depletion effects
Perhaps ego-depleation is less about ability and more about willingness to exert effort
EMPIRICAL
Hagger et.al) large meta-analysius and found a moderate effect size, suggesting that exerting self-control on one task impaired performance on subsequent tasks requiring self-control
Carter and Mcullough) re-examnined the data and argued that publication bias inflated the effect size
Hagger et al, again) conducted large-scale, multi-lab replication study using a standardized depletion task and found no significant evidence for ego depletion
Summarize the research example of ego depletion in the real world described in class?
Hand hygiene compliance in hospitals was analyzed using data from 4157 healthcare workers across 35 hospitals and 13.7 million hand hygine opportunities
Compliance rates dropped by an estimated 8.7% from the start to end of a 12hr shift.
Higher work intensity led to steeper decline in compliance
LOnger breaks between shifts helped restore compliance
Cumulative work hours mattered
Both the decline in compliance in teh shift and benefits of breaks were STRONGER for those who worked more total hours in the preceding week
What is the marshmallow test?
Kids are in a room, told they can eat the marshmallow now but they don’t get another or they can wait and get two marshmallows. They are then left. Study found correlation between kids who resisted temptation (delayed gratification) and desirable outcomes later in life (higher SATs, lower substance abuse rates, higher income/SES, better interpersonal functioning)
Subsequent replication used a modified (shortened) version of task, there was a significant correlation between performance on test and subsequent academic achievement (but not behavioural problems), but SMALLER effect than OG study
What are some strategies to resist temptation?
Cognitive reframing and strategic attentional deployment reduces temptation
Shifting focus away from an objects most tempting features
ex) some kids imagined the marshmallow as a plain white ball
How do expectations affect temptation?
Children have to believe that their actions will lead to rewards
ex STUDY) children who learned waiting was rewarded (reliable condition) waited much longer than those who were taught waiting brought no reward (unreliable condition)
What is life history theory?
Individuals adapt their strategies based on environmental stability
- in unpredictable environments, people may prioritize immediate rewards
- in stable environments people are more likely to invest in long term goals
What is trait self control?
Trait self-control: the amount of self-control an individual has
