Author(s): Amy Wolfe

Presentation: poster

Self-control is a person’s ability to alter his or her thoughts, emotions, desires, and behaviors. Recent research found that individuals with low levels of trait self-control are more often dependent on partners with high levels of trait self-control than their high self-control counterparts. I hypothesized that individuals who are subjected to self-control depletion would rate potential partners exemplifying higher levels of trait self-control as more attractive relationship partners than those who exhibit lower levels of trait self-control. Participants completed a trait self-control scale and a writing task designed to temporarily diminish state self-control. After the writing task, participants ranked potential romantic partners based on a job performance review indicating varying levels of trait self-control. Data collection is ongoing, but with 18 participants the results are not so far supporting the hypothesis.

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