Self-regulation operates like a depletable willpower resource.

Evidence

Empirical findings confirm the role of self-regulation in ensuring fairness and cooperation. This work has proceeded by exploiting the finding that the capacity for self-regulation functions like a limited energy resource akin to the folk notion of willpower: After self-regulating, performance suffers on other, seemingly unrelated self-regulation tasks, suggesting that some energy has been depleted (e.g., Baumeister & Tierney 2011). The state of diminished self-regulatory capacity is called ego depletion. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 244

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines ego depletion as the state of diminished self-regulatory capacity.
• XREF: Connects to the reading purpose’s framing of moral behavior under the Big God mechanism — self-regulation is the proximate psychological mechanism enforcing cooperative norms. — connects to: Self-regulation explains long-term enterprise generally, not moral sense specifically. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 655; Ego depletion causes less fair reward allocation. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 245; Cooperation requires self-regulation because its costs are immediate but its benefits are delayed — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 243 (+2 more)

Related

• Self-regulation explains long-term enterprise generally, not moral sense specifically. (similarity 0.87)
• Ego depletion causes less fair reward allocation. (similarity 0.86)
• Cooperation requires self-regulation because its costs are immediate but its benefits are delayed (similarity 0.83)
• Fairness impulses must compete against natural selfish impulses via self-regulation (similarity 0.82)
• Self-regulation, not fairness alone, enables prosocial culture. (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Ego depletion causes less fair reward allocation. #exemplifies (0.95) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 245
• Commitments are often manufactured by removing one’s own control over action #contradicts (0.80) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 714
• Cooperation requires self-regulation because its costs are immediate but its benefits are delayed #expands (0.72) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 243
• Being rational, informed, and in control is not always strategic #qualifies (0.72) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 52