The “Selfless” and Self-Regulation: The Role of Chronic Other-Orientation in Averting Self-Regulatory Depletion

Baumeister and colleagues (e.g., Baumeister, Heatherton, & Tice, 1994) have recently proposed a limited-strength model of self-regulation, whereby the effort of overtly controlling one's behavior requires considerable energy, and may lead to rapid depletion of the resource. The current research investigated individual differences in social orientation (e.g., collectivist cultural background and interdependent beliefs; other-directed self-monitoring), hypothesizing that those high in social orientation would be more motivated to engage in self-regulation in everyday social interaction, and thus may, over time, build greater self-regulatory strength. As expected, whereas those low in these motives replicated prior findings of depletion after self-regulation, individuals higher in these motives failed to show evidence of depletion. It appears as if chronic socially motivated exertion of self-control may lead to stable individual differences in self-regulatory performance.