Fighting self-control failure: Overcoming ego depletion by increasing self-awareness

According to the limited strength model (Muraven, Tice & Baumeister, 1998), exerting self-control causes ego depletion: a depletion of cognitive resources resulting in poorer performance on later self-control tasks. Previous studies have demonstrated a positive effect of self-awareness on self-control performance. The present study examined whether the occurrence of ego depletion can be circumvented by increasing self-awareness. Initially depleted participants who received a neutral prime exhibited the classic ego depletion pattern: their performance on a subsequent physical self-control task decreased significantly. In contrast, no decrease in performance was observed for depleted participants who were exposed to a self-awareness prime. The latter group performed equally well compared to low depleted participants.     

The Profinite Hull of Special Groups and Local-Global Principles

We introduce the Profinite Hull functor of special groups, showing that it gives rise to a new (and strong) local-global principle, the subform reflection property. We also indicate applications of this principle to the abstract algebraic theory of quadratic forms.     

The power of well-connected arguments: early sensitivity to the connective because

Connectives, such as because, are routinely used by parents when addressing their children, yet we do not know to what extent children are sensitive to their use. Given children's early developing abilities to evaluate testimony and produce arguments containing connectives, it was hypothesized that young children would show an appropriate reaction to the presence of connectives. Three experiments were conducted to test this hypothesis. In each, two informants gave contradicting statements regarding the location of an object and justified their positions by using a similar argument. Only one of the informants used the connective because to link his argument to the statement. In each experiment, the 3-year-olds performed at chance in selecting choices containing the connective because, but the 4- and 5-year-olds performed above chance. Moreover, in Experiments 2 and 3, the 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, and adults performed significantly better than the 3-year-olds. These findings show that 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, and adults are sensitive to the presence of connectives. An interpretation of the difference in performance between the 3-year-olds and the 4- and 5-year-olds in terms of metarepresentational skills is suggested.     

How Cognitive Resources Alter our Perception of the Past: Ego Depletion Enhances the Susceptibility to Suggestion

Studies show that engaging in self‐control results in deteriorated performance on subsequent tasks. In legal settings, witnesses and/or suspects are probably involved in self‐control (e.g. controlling their emotions). The current study tested whether such involvement in self‐control would lead to increased suggestibility levels. We found direct evidence for this. Forty‐four participants were randomly divided into a high level of depletion condition (regulation of attention) or a low level of depletion condition (no regulation of attention). Also, they were presented with a suggestibility measure (Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale). We showed that depleted participants were significantly more suggestible than non‐depleted participants. Our findings are relevant in situations in which suggestive practices may take place. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing the General Theory of Crime with the Circumplex Model: Curvilinear Relations between Family Functioning and Self-Control

ABSTRACT

The relation between family and low self-control is usually studied within linear hypotheses. In this study, we intended to test the familial origin of self-control under a curvilinear hypothesis. This is a cross-sectional study, with a sample of 448 adolescents and young adults. Data analysis was based on correlation and regression-based statistics. Results revealed linear associations between family functioning and juvenile deviant behavior, contrary to self-control which presented curvilinear relations with family cohesion and flexibility (i.e. both high and low extreme levels were associated with low self-control). This finding suggests a new approach to the familial origin of low self-control.     

A randomised trial of the effect of appearance versus health-framed messages on engagement with an online brief screening and alcohol reduction intervention

Objectives: To compare the impact of appearance versus health-framed messages on engagement in a brief web-based risk screening and alcohol reduction intervention.

Design: Randomised trial delivered via Drinkaware’s website. Visitors were exposed to appearance (n?=?51,588) or health-framed messages (n?=?52,639) directing them towards an AUDIT-C risk screening questionnaire. Users completing this questionnaire were given feedback on their risk level and extended frame-congruent information.

Outcomes: The primary outcome is completion of the AUDIT-C questionnaire. The secondary outcome is whether the participant accessed any of four further resources.

Results: The appearance-framed message led to a small but significant increase in the number of users completing the AUDIT-C compared to the health-framed message (n?=?3,537, 6.86% versus n?=?3,355, 6.37%, p?<?0.01). Conversely, following subsequent risk feedback, users exposed to extended health-framed information were more likely to access further resources (n?=?1,146, 2.17% versus n?=?942, 1.83%, p?<?0.01).

Conclusions: Physical appearance-framed messages increased the likelihood of engagement with an online alcohol screening and brief intervention tool, whereas health-framed messages increased the likelihood of accessing further resources. This highlights the potential for the use of multi-level approaches in alcohol reduction interventions.