Self-control without a "self"?: common self-control processes in humans and dogs.
Self-control constitutes a fundamental aspect of human nature. Yet there is reason to believe that human and nonhuman self-control processes rely on the same biological mechanism--the availability of glucose in the bloodstream. Two experiments tested this hypothesis by examining the effect of available blood glucose on the ability of dogs to exert self-control. Experiment 1 showed that dogs that were required to exert self-control on an initial task persisted for a shorter time on a subsequent unsolvable task than did dogs that were not previously required to exert self-control. Experiment 2 demonstrated that providing dogs with a boost of glucose eliminated the negative effects of prior exertion of self-control on persistence; this finding parallels a similar effect in humans. These findings provide the first evidence that self-control relies on the same limited energy resource among humans and nonhumans. Our results have broad implications for the study of self-control processes in human and nonhuman species.
Miller
Holly C
HC
Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA. holly.miller@uky.edu
Pattison
Kristina F
KF
DeWall
C Nathan
CN
Rayburn-Reeves
Rebecca
R
Zentall
Thomas R
TR
D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity
D001786:Blood Glucose