Premium
How Cognitive Resources Alter our Perception of the Past: Ego Depletion Enhances the Susceptibility to Suggestion
Author(s) -
Otgaar Henry,
Alberts Hugo,
Cuppens Lesly
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.1810
Subject(s) - suggestibility , ego depletion , psychology , cognition , perception , self control , developmental psychology , social psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , neuroscience
Summary Studies show that engaging in self‐control results in deteriorated performance on subsequent tasks. In legal settings, witnesses and/or suspects are probably involved in self‐control (e.g. controlling their emotions). The current study tested whether such involvement in self‐control would lead to increased suggestibility levels. We found direct evidence for this. Forty‐four participants were randomly divided into a high level of depletion condition (regulation of attention) or a low level of depletion condition (no regulation of attention). Also, they were presented with a suggestibility measure (Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale). We showed that depleted participants were significantly more suggestible than non‐depleted participants. Our findings are relevant in situations in which suggestive practices may take place. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.