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Individual differences in ego depletion: The role of sociotropy-autonomy

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In his cognitive theory of depression, Beck (1987) suggested that highly sociotropic individuals have a strong need for social acceptance whereas highly autonomous individuals have an excessive need for achievement. Research by Baumeister (2000) has suggested that a phenomenon known as ego depletion, the weakening of performance on tasks following active self-control, occurs because it depletes a limited inner resource. The present study examined whether individuals who are highly sociotropic or autonomous would respond differently when faced with tasks requiring self-control. Participants completed the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (Clark et al. 1995) and engaged in two active self-control tasks. The results revealed that sociotropy levels were negatively correlated with persistence on tasks that require self-control whereas autonomy was positively correlated to persistence on the same task. In addition, the results suggested that, following a task requiring self-control, highly sociotropic individuals expend less effort, whereas highly autonomous individuals expend more effort on subsequent tasks requiring self-control.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA, USA

    Toru Sato, Brittany A. Harman, Whitney M. Donohoe, Allison Weaver & William A. Hall

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  1. Toru Sato
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  2. Brittany A. Harman
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  3. Whitney M. Donohoe
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  4. Allison Weaver
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  5. William A. Hall
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Correspondence to Toru Sato.

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Sato, T., Harman, B.A., Donohoe, W.M. et al. Individual differences in ego depletion: The role of sociotropy-autonomy. Motiv Emot 34, 205–213 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-010-9166-9

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