1 research outputs found
Self-control depletion in capuchin monkeys: does delay of gratification rely on a limited resource?
No full textSelf-control failure has enormous personal and societal consequences. One of the most debated models explaining why self-control breaks down is the Strength Model, according to which self-control depends on a limited resource. Either previous acts of self-control or taking part in highly demanding cognitive tasks have been shown to reduce self-control, possibly due to a reduction in blood glucose levels. However, several studies yielded negative ?ndings, and recent meta-analyses questioned the robustness of the depletion effect in humans. We investigated, for the ?rst time, whether the Strength Model applies to a non-human primate species, the tufted capuchin monkey. We tested ?ve capuchins in a self-control task (the Accumulation task) in which food items were accumulated within individual\u27s reach for as long as the subject refrained from taking them. We evaluated whether capuchins\u27 performance decreases: (i) when tested before receiving their daily meal rather than after consuming it (Energy Depletion Experiment), and (ii) after being tested in two tasks with different levels of cognitive complexity (Cognitive Depletion Experiment). We also tested, in both experiments, how implementing self-control in each trial of the Accumulation task affected this capacity within each session and/or across consecutive sessions. Repeated acts of self- control in each trial of the Accumulation task progressively reduced this capacity within each session, as predicted by the Strength Model. However, neither experiencing a reduction in energy level nor taking part in a highly demanding cognitive task decreased performance in the subsequent Accumulation task. Thus, whereas capuchins seem to be vulnerable to within-session depletion effects, to other extents our ?ndings are in line with the growing body of studies that failed to ?nd a depletion effect in humans. Methodological issues potentially affecting the lack of depletion effects in capuchins are discussed
