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In study #2, they manipulated people's beliefs about willpower by administering a "push poll", and then tested willpower depletion. How did they determine how
by kd0amg 16y ago
In study #2, they manipulated people's beliefs about willpower by administering a "push poll", and then tested willpower depletion.
How did they determine how well the push poll influenced that belief? How did they ensure it didn't work better on those who already had less willpower?
- jessriedel 16y agoDid you not want to read the paper? It's really short and clearly written. They just randomly assign people to group A or B. Group A is told about the actual theory that willpower is a finite resource (“Working on a strenuous mental task can make you feel tired such that you need a break before accomplishing a new task”). Group B is told a competing theory that willpower compounds (“Sometimes, working on a strenuous mental task can make you feel energized for further challenging activities”). They administered surveys to confirm that they had successfully influence each groups opinions. Then, the experimenters tested the degree to which using willpower became harder or easier throughout a task. On average, group A exhibited willpower fatigue but group B did not.