Final Exam: EGO DEPLETION

What is one important note about the theory of ego depletion?

- Baumeister and Tice didn't limit this resource to acts of self-control - Posited that virtually any act that requires this active self/EF can limit this resource (e.g. making choices, taking initiative, expending effort)

What did Buzinski & Kitchens, 2017 do to test ego depletion?

- Control condition: e-cross task where they crossed out e in a stats textbook - Experimental condition (self-control): first crossed out every e they saw and then 5 minutes in they had to only cross out certain e's between certain letters (e.g. letters I & n) - Also manipulated strong or weak norms of inclusiveness (tolerance) —> participants randomly assigned to read a passage about students norms regarding acceptance and inclusiveness of LGBTQ students Manipulated passage to show strong support for inclusiveness or weak support - Cleanse hands task (dv) Did this because people that are less inclusive tend to cleanse more after interacting with or thinking about LGBTQ individuals

Baumeister and Tice found what to be the mitigators of self-regulation?

- Long periods of time - Energy exerted on a series of tasks and demands - multiple goals set *** all rendered less self-control

When was the cognitive revolution?

70's-80's

True or False: While ego depletion can inhibit cognitive tasks (e.g., doing puzzles, doing mental math), it cannot affect social processes like prejudice. A. True B. False

B. False

When a person has used self-control for an extended period of time, they are more likely to perceive what kind of stimulus? A. One reinforcing the current goal (for which they are expending self-control) B. One indicating additional means of pursuing the current goal C. One indicating potential rewards D. None of the above

C. One indicating potential rewards

When investigating research on self-control across domains (e.g., smoking, drinking, eating), Baumeister & Tice noticed that self-control typically deteriorated... A. Over time B. After completing tasks C. When one had multiple goals D. All of the above

D. All of the above

Which of the following factors can moderate the relationship between ego depletion and goal striving (i.e., exerting self-control)? A. Self-affirmation B. Monetary payments C. If-then plans D. All of the above

D. All of the above

(Gailliot, Baumeister, DeWall, Maner, Plant, Tice, et al., 2007) Wanted to see what the actual limited resource was, what did they think it could be?

Glucose

What did further research posit about the theory of ego depletion?

Inzlicht & schmeichel: Proposed there may not be a resource whatsoever *Based on unsuccessful attempts to replication glucose effects --> Chatzisarantis & Hagger (2015)=couldn't replicate - Such as that of Vadillo et al., who gave sugary drink as a moderator (lemonade) and found that it didn't increase self-control -Such as that of Molden et al., found that ego-depletion did not increase carbohydrate metabolization and that rinsing mouth (but not swallowing) with carb solution bolstered self-control (but didn't change blood-glucose; thus resource was not restored) *** basically suggested that it may be due to psychological processes and not this physiological resource of glucose

dual task paradigm: A&N story task

Non-experimental condition: people are asked just to write a story (usually about a trip the've taken) Experimental condition: people asked to write story but avoid using the words that contain a or n (Thus requires a lot more mental effort)

How is a pool a metaphor for ego depletion?

Pool is like the limited resource = dries up as used Once pool is gone, nothing else to draw from so performance suffers

Problems for ego-depletion theory: what did schmeichel and Vohns 2009 test to challenge the ego-depletion theory?

Schmeichel and Vohs 2009 looked at if the mind could moderate ego depletion Posited that it shouldn't be able to if there is some sort of physiological source Non-experimental condition: wrote a story Experimental condition (self-control): write story without a or n Moderating variable = self-affirmations or no self-affirmations about themselves (associated with highly productive goal pursuit) DV = how long people can keep hand in ice bucket (it hurts)

How did Baumeister and Tice first try and address the issues with computational models of self-regulation?

Scoured literature and noticed a pattern --> found that self-control would start off just fine but overtime it would deplete (even if motivation was high)

How are muscles/strength a metaphor for ego depletion?

Self-control is like a muscle, when our muscles are rested and fresh we can use them effectively, but eventually muscles get tired and fatigue and can't be used as well for other tasks so performance suffers

Why was important about the theory of ego depletion?

Shifted the way people thought about self-control and self-regulation Took the idea of having all of these different processes that require self-regulation (e.g. control feelings, control thoughts, impulse control, task) into one core process/willpower - Basically all using the SAME resource

If its not resource-oriented, what is going on psychologically when ego-depleted?

Shifts in ATTENTION and MOTIVATION when in states of ego-depletion - When we're fresh, attention and motivation focused on controlling self and focal goal - When we're tired / not fresh due to exerting self-control, attention and motivation directs towards rewarding the self and finding rewards

What is wrong with computational models of self-regulation ?

They don't incoporate a lot of the decay that we see over time in human processes (e.g. didn't account for LIMITING PARAMETERS such as fatigue and memory loss)

What is the dual-task paradigm?

- Randomly assign participants to a task that requires self-control or does not Wait 5 minutes so that frustration lowers (don't want to measure frustration, want to measure depletion) Then all participants do a second task (dv) that was different than both IV that required self-control of everyone

What did Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice, 1998 cookie vs radishes task on ego depletion entail experimentally?

- Dual task paradigm Initial task (IV) = cookies versus radishes Participants brought into the room and see both foods Non experimental condition: told it was a taste test so they could eat anything (no sea-control) Experimental condition (self-control): had to eat radishes and not cookies Delay Second tas (dv): How much people persisted on an unsolvable puzzle task

What are the fundamental components of the ego depletion model?

- Focused on the 'active self' or the executive control of the self (in prefrontal cortex) - Controlled (effortful like stats homework or rock climbing) versus automatic (readings, driving) processing --> active self needed for controlled processing - Posited that automatic processing didn't require active self as no self-control is needed - ** Posited that there was LIMITED AMOUNT of 'active self' or executive functioning that could be utilized before being depleted - Thus, performance on goals hindered when resource depleted

What did Buzinski & Kitchens, 2017 find in their e cross/ LGBTQ/ hand cleansing task?

- Found that those in the control condition (not depleted) had read about strong norms of inclusiveness used LESS sanitizer than those in weak norms condition - Found that those in the experimental condition (depleted) who had strong norms of inclusiveness used FAR LESS sanitizer than those in the weak norms condition *** moderator = ego depletion Showed how self-control & ego-depletion interact with social behavior

Which of the following was theorized to be the physical "resource" driving the ego depletion effect? A. Glucose B. Oxytocin C. Adrenaline D. Fructose

A. Glucose

True or False: The strength model of ego depletion and the process model of ego depletion both predict the same ego depletion "effect" (on behavior); their divergence is only on what causes the effect to occur. A. True B. False

A. True

True or False: The "active self" is synonymous with automatic information processing. A. True B. False

B. False

According to the theory of ego depletion, if a person uses self-control for a period of time, then... A. They will show improved self-control subsequently, but only in the same domain (i.e., doing the same self-control task) B. They will show improved self-control subsequently due to a practice effect C. They will show subsequent self-control decrements in any domain (i.e., doing anything requiring self-control) D. They will show subsequent self-control decrements in the same domain (i.e., doing the same self-control task)

C. They will show subsequent self-control decrements in any domain (i.e., doing anything requiring self-control)

Early models of self-regulation were based on what? Examples ?

Computations/cognitive models of the mind - Essentially treated human behavior almost identically to that of a computer processing system - Cybernetic model/control theory (one that goes in a loop)

Which of the following would be the most depleting task? A. Having to cross out every third letter "e" in a page of text B. Having to cross out every letter "e" in a page of text C. Reading a page of text D. Initially having to cross out every letter "e" in a page of text, and then having to change to crossing out every third letter "e" in a page of text

D. Initially having to cross out every letter "e" in a page of text, and then having to change to crossing out every third letter "e" in a page of text

Which of the following best reflects the typical paradigm under which we test ego depletion effects? A. Participants receive self-regulatory training in goal maintenance, and then are measured on how effectively they pursue a goal. B. Participants are assigned a challenging goal and are measured on how long or how vigorously they pursue that challenging goal C. Participants complete a self-control draining task, are given a brief resting period, and then resume the same task. They are only measured on how long or how vigorously they complete the draining task in this second period of pursuit. D. Participants complete a self-control draining task in one goal domain, and then are measured on how effectively they pursue a goal in a completely different goal domain

D. Participants complete a self-control draining task in one goal domain, and then are measured on how effectively they pursue a goal in a completely different goal domain

Essentially, what is the main idea of the theory of ego depletion?

Ego depletion = one limited resource —> use it up = less resource for other processes that require self-control

Having 'one willpower' meant what in terms of resource?

Exerting for one process (e.g. controlling feelings and emotion) rendered less of the resource for another (e.g. impulse control) after a period of time

What did Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice, 1998 find in their cookie versus radishes study? Why is this?

Experimental group solved significantly fewer puzzles and also made significantly fewer attempts to solve them Because they had depleted themselves by rejecting the cookies and eating the radishes, they had less self-control to expend on the puzzles task - (true control condition and cookie control condition performed exactly the same)

"Is glucose a limited resource?" What did Gailliot, Baumeister, DeWall, Maner, Plant, Tice, et al., 2007 find?

Found that blood glucose levels significantly dropped in experimental condition (self-control) compared to the control condition

Problems for ego-depletion theory: what did schmeichel and Vohns 2009 find ?

Found that when people just wrote a story, people held hand in ice water for a lot longer Found that when people wrote story with a + n rule, held hand in water for shorter period of time But, when looking at self-affirmations group, ego-depletion effect went away entirely - if resource was gone, this shouldn't happen! Self-affirmation should not be able to totally moderate the effect

Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven, & Tice, 1998) --> evidence for self-control depletion OUTSIDE of lab

Look at depletion scores relative to temptation indulgence Depletion score = Sum of previous self-control attempts, weighted by temporal distance Found that depletion score would go up if there was less time between self-control attempts + Higher depletion score = more likely to indulge in temptations

Support for psychological model (as opposed to resource model): What did schmeichel et al., do and find in their gambling study?

Looked at how states of ego-depletion change or shift motivation Approach motivation = how motivated people are to go out and seek rewards Used story a and n task Also manipulated low-state gambles (coin flips): - Control group winning 75% of time - Experimental (self-control) group losing 75% of time time DV = number of bets made Made more bets when ego-depleted + Made less bets when not ego-depleted *** When depleted, more motivated to reward the self (e.g. winning money) compared to when not-depleted *** Ego-depleted individuals will expend energy when it allows them to reward themselves

Other moderators of ego depletion?

Money = more self-control exerted despite initial task Implementation intentions = more self-control exerted despite initial task If there is no resource left to exert, then this shouldn't happen

dual task paradigm: emotional suppression task

Non-experimental condition: Can express emotion when watching video Experimental condition: Can't express emotion when watching video (more self-control)

Dual task paradigm: E-cross task

Non-experimental condition: cross out every e you see in a passage Experimental condition (self-control): cross out every e initially, and then change it to something harder (like every 3rd e) - ^ harder because you get used to initial task and then have to exert effort to do novel one

"Is glucose a limited resource?" What did Gailliot, Baumeister, DeWall, Maner, Plant, Tice, et al., 2007 do?

Non-experimental condition: watch a video Experimental condition (self-control): watch a video and avoid looking at words on bottom of screen Covariate = mood (wanted to make sure effects were due to mood) DV = blood glucose levels (assumed that less glucose levels would mean that it was the depleted resource)

What model did Baumeister and Tice create?

The ego depletion model

Baumeister and Tice wanted to do what to address this problem?

Wanted to create a model that would incorporate fatigue over time and with demands

How did Baumeister et al. alter their theory of ego depletion in light of this research?

Went from 'running out' to 'conserving' —> When people use self-control, they're getting signals that the resource is running low and that they need to now conserve the resource that they have remaining Not wiped out / exhausted, just running low and go into conversation state So, conserve for unknown future demands