PSYC19H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Simple Math, Decision Fatigue, Random Assignment
Document Summary
Jean twenge"s, postdoctoral student decided w/ others to test the idea of willpower depletion based on a personal experience she"d felt. First experiment, p"s were shown a table loaded with products appealing to college students, and told they would keep one at the end. Some of the students were told to make choices which would determine which one they"d keep, went through a series of choices, each time b/w two items. A control group nondeciders spent the same amount of time contemplating all the products w/o having to make any decisions, asked to rate the product and how long they"ve used it in the last six months. Afterwards, both groups did a self-control test of holding your hand in ice water for as long as you can. Deciders gave up signi cantly sooner than the nondeciders. Water is uncomfortable and you have the urge to pull your hand out, so self-discipline is needed to keep hand under water.
