Ego Depletion Reduces Proselfs’ Concern with the Well-Being of Others

• Main Authors: BALLIET, Daniel Patrick, JOIREMAN, Jeff
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2010
• Subjects: cooperation; ego depletion; self-regulation; social value orientation; Personality and Social Contexts; Social Psychology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/751
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Previous research suggests that people predisposed toward a more cooperative orientation are stronger at self-control and, accordingly, are better able to ward off the adverse impact of ego depletion on self-regulation (Seeley and Gardner, 2003). Building on this research, we tested the hypothesis that ego depletion would lead to a reduction in concern with the well-being of others among proselfs, but not among prosocials. Study 1 supported the basic proposition that prosocials are higher than proselfs in trait self-control. In Study 2, participants originally classified as prosocials versus proselfs based on mathematical games engaged in an ego depletion task or a control task and later completed a similar measure of prosocial versus proself values. Supporting the primary hypothesis, ego depletion reduced proselfs concern with the well-being of others at time 2, but had no impact among prosocials. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.