| Not much research has focused on the role of self-control in cooperation outside of delayed gratification. Additionally, there has been either an assumption that self-control is needed to experience concern for the well-being of others and that without self-control individuals decrease their amount of concern for the welfare of others. In two studies, we find evidence for an alternative explanation where individuals who have been depleted of their self-control resources report the same level of concern for others, but are less likely to act on that concern. In Study 1, participants must sustain cooperation to increase the joint payout to themselves and another player. In Study 2, participants play a resource dilemma game where they must control the number of fish they extract from a common fishing pond in a simulated game. In both studies, participants who underwent depletion were less cooperative than control participants despite reporting equal levels of concern for other player's welfare. |
