Depletion manipulations decrease openness to dissent via increased anger
Abstract
We investigated a potential outcome of ego depletion manipulations and an importantfactor behind cooperative failure: a lack of openness to others’ dissenting opinions.Across five studies in a variety of task settings, we examined the effect of depletionmanipulations on openness to dissent and investigated two negative emotions as potentialmediators of this process: fatigue and anger. The results demonstrated a negative effect ofdepletion manipulations on openness to dissent through increased anger rather thanfatigue (Studies 1–5). In Studies 3 and 4, we also eliminated perceived trust towards a taskcounterpart as a significant mediator of the relationship between depletion manipulationsand openness to dissent. These findings help clarify the nature of ego depletionmanipulations and shed light on why individuals may fail to consider others’ dissentingopinions and, thus, fall short of achieving cooperation.