The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak : self-control depletion reduces the likelihood of cooperating but not the desire to do so

Date of Award

1-1-2013

Language

English

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School/Department

Department of Psychology

Program

Social/Personality Psychology

Content Description

1 online resource (ii, 35 pages) : illustrations.

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Mark Muraven

Committee Members

Robert Rosellini

Keywords

Cooperation, Ego-Depletion, Helpfulness, Pro-Social, Self-Control, Social Dilemma, Self-control

Subject Categories

Psychology

Abstract

Not much research has focused on the role of self-control in cooperation outside of delayed gratification. Additionally, there has been either an assumption that self-control is needed to experience concern for the well-being of others and that without self-control individuals decrease their amount of concern for the welfare of others. In two studies, we find evidence for an alternative explanation where individuals who have been depleted of their self-control resources report the same level of concern for others, but are less likely to act on that concern. In Study 1, participants must sustain cooperation to increase the joint payout to themselves and another player. In Study 2, participants play a resource dilemma game where they must control the number of fish they extract from a common fishing pond in a simulated game. In both studies, participants who underwent depletion were less cooperative than control participants despite reporting equal levels of concern for other player's welfare.

Comments

Requested ProQuest takedown; no end date

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