Understanding Ego Depletion
danariely.com
danariely.com
"Judges are more lenient after taking a break, study finds. Prisoners are more likely to be granted parole early in the day or after a break such as lunch, according to researchers" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2011/apr/11/judges-lenient-bre...)
Here is the actual paper: http://www.pnas.org/content/108/17/6889
Interesting, I wonder if this is the same as when you have a song stuck (looping) in your head. I've been told that listening to the whole song will make it unstuck.
To idiomize this great point: Willpower is a hammer, not a shield.
So for example, if one were to talk about sunlight as being a limited resource (which it is), it carries the implication that that limit is close enough to worry about.
People's attention is drawn to the idea that they will run out of willpower. The first time they start to experience depletion, they give up, because they assume they've run out.
It would be interesting to repeat the experiment, but tell the participants that in addition to the normal amount of willpower, they also have a secondary reserve which, with a little more effort, they can tap into to double or triple their performance.
Either way, I think most people could associate with this - if I'm stressed I'll figure I deserve whatever treat. I think part of the problem is the effort and reward aren't linked at all.
If I need to push on something - I try to build the reward in - e.g. Big week of work and I'll buy an LP, or go out, whatever. Then I feel less inclined to grab something unhealthy "cos I deserve it".
The more stress the person is undergoing the more energy is drained. Isn't this obvious? I thought Ariely was known for brilliant insights on human behaviour. Maybe he's become a dieting guru? That's where the money is?
People overeat when they're stressed. Everyone knows that. But why? I've sometimes thought it's because overeating is like an opiate. Think about how you feel after a big meal. The blood rushes to your stomach, you might even feel sleepy and it's much more difficult to "get stressed" than it is on an empty stomach.
There's also the fact that habitual snacking and eating "just a bit... ...all the time" grows 1) a mental habit to the act of eating 2) physical dependency to the act of having glucose levels high 3) mental and physical dependency on the good experience(smell and taste).
I used to be a person who ate once a day(lunch), and perhaps ate a fruit(banana or an apple) a few times a week to supplement. Back then I really pitied people who couldn't control their weight. To me it was outright laughable that someone simply could not refuse the sweets, pastries, soft drinks, ... because for me they were never even an option I considered. These days though, while I am not obese(although I've gained a lot of weigh which I know I should get rid of) I've realized that I've became a habitual eater. I eat constantly, all the time. Small snacks, soft drinks, whatever. All the time. Every 15-30-45 minutes I check the fridge. And I can't help it. It's not hunger. It's not the taste itself. It's the act of eating. Act of having something down my throat. While I can resist it on irregular basis every now and then, I can't cancel the actual act of habit just like this. And man, this is horrible. Now I know how it is to not being able to "just refuse it and that's it". Luckily, I consume lots more than average person(physical work, hobbies, conscious effort) so I can control my weight at least. But I am hooked on eating. Habitual eater, no way to deny it.
Maybe someone in the UK can comment on what it was like during WWII when there was a severe shortage of food. I have heard some say people were actually quite healthy because they were not eating "too much" as it is so easy to do under normal conditions. I don't know. Maybe some from the UK can comment.
In sum, given that we are still animals with animal drives like hunger, finding food and eating is way too easy. Maybe our evolution has not caught up.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/9728.php
PS: My Mum can still remember the first banana she saw, and getting fresh oranges (overseas sourced foods basically disappeared for 8 years)
The "ego" in "ego depletion" has nothing to do with Freudian ego, except as an homage.
More effort thus far has been put into figuring out how to overcome people's willpower and induce them to make poor decisions not in their own interests.
On the bright side, most of the strategies to improve willpower will be effective regardless of which model is actually true.
I found myself seeing example after example in that article and thinking I didn't see the purported problem, until I came to that bit at the end and realized that the author was knowingly presenting the examples in the context of a version of the "resource view" that I've not seen anyone argue for.
A 10 minute nap seems to reset me though, which is cool. I try to take one after completing a good sized chunk of work so I'll be capable of completing another one or two in the same day.