What biological processes underlie self-control, such that this adaptive skill differs among people and appears to be functionally limited? The current research aims to answer this question by proposing that adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps to link the rate of energy expenditures to available energy resources in the brain, signals self-control depletion. Two studies were conducted to test the adenosine hypothesis, taking advantage of caffeine’s ability to block adenosine’s action. A first, correlational study furnished evidence for the hypothesis that people who can benefit most from a boost in self-control (i.e., who have lower trait self-control and higher demands for self-control at work) would consume and depend on caffeine to improve their performance in domains which require self-control more than people with sufficient self-control resources (i.e., who have higher self-control and lower demands for self-control at work). A second, experimental study using a self-control depletion manipulation tested whether caffeine directly improves self-control and counteracts ego depletion. However, Study 2 did not furnish support for the adenosine hypothesis. Implications and future directions are discussed. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester 2016. / May 4, 2016. / Adenosine, Caffeine, Ego Depletion, Practice Effects, Self-Control / Includes bibliographical references. / Roy F. Baumeister, Professor Directing Thesis; James K. McNulty, Committee Member; Lisa A. Eckel, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_366091 |
| Contributors | Maranges, Heather M. (authoraut), Baumeister, Roy F. (professor directing thesis), McNulty, James (committee member), Eckel, Lisa A. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Psychology (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (60 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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