1. Marian M. Morry & Simmi Mann University of Manitoba
You Rejuvenate Me: Priming Representations of Close Relationship Partners Improves Self-Control Performance
Marian M. Morry & Simmi Mann
University of Manitoba
Mann & Morry (under review)

3. Background: Self-control
Self-control: the capacity to override and regulate responses (Baumeister et al., 1994)
Requires self-regulatory strength: internal resources to alter responses
Strength is limited and varies as a function of willpower, stress, and exhaustion
Repeated self-control exertion leads to exhaustion or cognitive depletion (Richards, 2004)

4. Sources of depletion: emotion regulation (Richards, 2004)
atypical self-presentation (Vohs et al., 2005)
taking the perspective of a person exercising self- control (Ackerman et al, 2009)
high-maintenance interaction partners (Finkel et al., 2006)
interacting with people of different ethnicities and cultures (Richeson & Trawalter, 2005)

5. Sources of replenishment:
positive mood (Muraven et al., 1999; Tice et al., 2007)
self-affirmation (Schmeichel & Vohs, 2009)
glucose (Gailliot et al., 2007)
sleep (Tyler & Burns, 2008)
rest (Baumesiter et al., 1994)
supportive social environments (vanDellen et al., 2015)

6. Background: Relationships
Benefits of close relationships
Social support (Berman et al., 2000)
Stress reduction (Mickulincer et al., 2003)
Secure base/safe haven (Feeney & Collins, 2004)
Physical health (Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001)
Mental health (Mikulincer & Shaver 2005)
Goals striving (Fitzsimons & Bargh 2003)

7. Others as sources of depletion
High maintenance, other cultures or ethnicities
Others as sources of replenishment
Very subtle priming of a family member (e.g., photo or name) increased self-control, but only when not depleted (Stillman et al., 2009)
Benefits of Priming Close Others
reducing threat appraisal when delivering a speech (Collins et al., 2014)
reducing pain perceptions (Master et al., 2009)

8. Overview of Studies
Study 1: Examine subtle and explicit priming of dating partner
manipulated depletion
compared an explicit prime or a subtle prime to no prime
Study 2: Examine different types of relationships
everyone was depleted
compared a dating partner prime to a close other prime to an acquaintance
Both studies used the Stroop task as a measure of depletion

9. Study 1: Method
24 hours prior to study submitted a photo of the dating partner and one of the self
Randomly assigned
high cognitive load (depletion)
no load (control) condition

10. Randomly assigned to a prime:
no prime (control)
subtle prime – rate superficial attributes
explicit prime – rate superficial attributes and reflect and write about the importance of the relationship

11. Self-control task (Stroop)
Congruent Trials:
Incongruent Trials:
Red, Green, Blue
Red, Green, Blue
Longer reaction times on the incongruent trials indicative of cognitive depletion

12. Potential mediators Inclusion of other in self (Aron et al., 1992)
Self-expansion (Lewandowski & Aron, 2002)
Relationship Satisfaction (Hendrick et al., 1998)
Self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1965)
Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Systems (Carver & White, 1994)
Positive and Negative Affect (Watson et al., 1988)

13. Study 1: Hypotheses H1 - Main effect of Condition on Stroop RT
depletion condition longer RT than control condition
H2 - Condition by Prime interaction on Stroop RT
depletion condition: no prime longer RT compared to subtle or explicit prime
control condition: no RT differences based on prime
H3 – Depletion Condition
fastest RTs in the explicit prime condition followed by the subtle prime condition

14. Study 1: Results Condition by Prime ANOVA on Stroop RT
H1: Condition, F(1, 157) = 21.67, p < .001, ηp2 = .12
control conditions (M = 806 ms, SD = ms) faster the depletion conditions (M = 913 ms, SD = ms)

15. H2: Condition by Prime interaction, F(2, 157) = 27. 28, p <
H2: Condition by Prime interaction, F(2, 157) = 27.28, p < .001, ηp2 = .26

16. Study 1: Results Continued
H3: not supported (t(52) = .12, p = .90)
explicit = subtle
Potential Mediators: None were significant
Prime did not predict (BIS/BAS, SE, PANAS)
Bootstrapping indicated no mediation (IOS, Self- expansion, RAS)

17. Study 2: Method
Randomly assigned to dating partner, close other, or acquaintance condition
48 hours prior to study submitted a list of attributes that best described the person
“… list of 20 words that best describe a close other in your life (i.e., caring, musical, athletic, and sensitive)”
All participants were depleted

18. caring, musical, athletic, and sensitive chair, hammer, sunny
Red, Green, Blue
Primed
“Memory test” - E-Prime provided descriptive words they had submitted and filler words
Self-control task (Stroop)
Potential mediators

19. Study 2: Hypothesis H4 - Main effect of Prime on Stroop RT
dating partner faster RT than close other followed by the acquaintance

20. One-Way Prime ANOVA: F(2,153) = 65.83, p < .001,

21. Study 2: Results Continued
Potential Mediators: IOS was significant
Others
Prime did not predict (BIS/BAS, SE, PANAS)
Bootstrapping indicated no mediation (Self-expansion, RAS)

22. Discussion
Positive influence of close relationships on cognitive resources when experiencing cognitive depletion
Resource potential
Different priming methods improved performance
Subtle and Explicit primes
Photos or Attributes

23. Discussion Continued Compared relationship types Implications
Close others of any type improved performance
Implications
When cognitively depleted
Look at and think about photos of close others
Think about attributes of close others

24. Future Directions Other types of depletion (e.g., emotion regulation)
Other measures of subsequent self-regulation (e.g., eating restraint, unsolvable puzzles)
Other mediators (e.g., self-affirmation)

25. Questions Acknowledgements Close Relationship Laboratory
Trinda Penniston
Jamie McDonald
Deepak Singh
Jill Guingcangco
Questions