Four studies investigated a self-control theory of resistance to persuasion. This theory asserts that resistance to persuasion requires and consumes self-control resources. Study 1 showed that resistance to a persuasive message reduced the ability to engage in a subsequent self-control task. Studies 2 and 3 showed that self-control depletion leads to increased persuasion. Study 4 showed that self-control depletion increased persuasion, particularly under effortful resistance (i.e., strong arguments). Together, these findings suggest that self-control plays a vital role in the process of resistance to persuasion. People must have self-control resources to fend off persuasive appeals; without them, they become susceptible to influence.
Baron, R.S. (2000). Arousal, capacity, and intense indoctrination . Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4, 238-254.
2.
Baron, R.M., & Kenny, D.A. (1986). The moderator—mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173-1182.
3.
Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Muraven, M., & Tice, D.M. (1998). Ego-depletion: Is the active self a limited resource ? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1252-1265.
4.
Baumeister, R.F., & Vohs, K.D. (2005). Handbook of self-regulation research. New York: Guilford.
5.
Cacioppo, J.T., & Petty, R.E. (1981). Social psychological procedures for cognitive response assessment: The thought listing technique. In T. Merluzzi, C. Glass, & M. Genest (Eds.), Cognitive assessment (pp. 309-342). New York: Guilford.
6.
Cesario, J., Grant, H., & Higgins, E.T. (2004). Regulatory fit and persuasion: Transfer from “feeling right.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 86, 388-404.
7.
Cialdini, R.B. (2001). Influence: Science and practice (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
8.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
9.
DeWall, C.N., Baumeister, R.F., Stillman, T.F., & Gailliot, M.T. (2007). Violence restrained: Effects of self-regulation and its depletion on aggression. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 62-76.
10.
Eagly, A.H., & Chaiken, E. (1998). Attitude structure and function. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (Vol. 1, 4th ed., pp. 269-322). New York: McGraw-Hill.
11.
Freedman, J.L., & Sears, D.O. (1965). Warning, distraction, and resistance to influence . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1, 262-266.
12.
Frey, D. (1986). Recent research on selective exposure to information . Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 19, 41-80.
13.
Gilbert, D.T. (1991). How mental systems believe. American Psychologist, 46, 107-119.
14.
Gitter, S., Maner, J., & Tice, D. (2006, January). Going where the green light leads you: Self-regulatory failure and argument generation. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Palm Springs, CA.
15.
Hunter, E. (1960). Brainwashing: From Pavlov to Powers. New York: The Bookmailer.
16.
Insko, C.A., Lind, E.A., & LaTour, S. (1976). Persuasion, recall, and thoughts. Representative Research in Social Psychology, 7, 66-78.
17.
Insko, C.A., Turnbull, W., & Yandell, B. (1974). Facilitative and inhibiting effects of distraction on attitude change. Sociometry, 37, 508-528.
18.
Knowles, E. S., & Linn, J. A. (Eds.). (2004). Resistance and persuasion . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
19.
Lee, A.Y., & Aaker, J.L. (2004). Bringing the frame into focus: The influence of regulatory fit on processing fluency and persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 205-218.
20.
Lifton, R.J. (1961). Thought reform and the psychology of totalism . New York: Norton.
21.
Macrae, C.N., Bodenhausen, G.V., Milne, A.B., & Jetten, J. (1994). Out of mind but back in sight: Stereotypes on the rebound. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 67, 808-817.
22.
McGuire, W.J. (1964). Inducing resistance to persuasion: Some contemporary approaches. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 191-229). New York: Academic Press.
23.
Muraven, M., & Baumeister, R.F. (2000). Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources: Does self-control resemble a muscle? Psychological Bulletin, 126, 247-259.
24.
Muraven, M., Baumeister, B.F., & Tice, D.M. (1999). Longitudinal improvement of self-regulation through practice: Building self-control strength through repeated exercise. Journal of Social Psychology, 139, 446-457.
25.
Muraven, M., Shmueli, D., & Burkley, E. (2006). Conserving self-control strength. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 524-537.
26.
Muraven, M., & Slessareva, E. (2003). Mechanisms of self-control failure: Motivation and limited resources. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 894-906.
27.
Muraven, M., Tice, D.M., & Baumeister, R.F. (1998). Self-control as a limited resource: Regulatory depletion patterns. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 774-778.
28.
Petty, R.E., & Cacioppo, J.T. (1986a). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 19, pp. 123-205). New York: Academic Press.
29.
Petty, R.E., & Cacioppo, J.T. (1986b). Communication and persuasion: Central and peripheral routes to attitude change. New York : Springer-Verlag.
30.
Petty, R.E., Cacioppo, J.T., & Goldman, R. (1981). Personal involvement as a determinant of argument-based persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 847-855.
31.
Petty, R. E., & Krosnick, J. A. (Eds.). (1995). Attitude strength: Antecedents and consequences. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
32.
Sobel, M.E. (1982). Asymptotic intervals for indirect effects in structural equations models. In S. Leinhart (Ed.), Sociological methodology 1982 (pp. 290-312). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
33.
Tangney, J.P., Baumeister, R.F., & Boone, A.L. (2004). High self-control predicts good adjustment, less pathology, better grades, and interpersonal success. Journal of Personality, 72, 271-324.
34.
Tannenbaum, P.H., Macauley, J.R., & Norris, E.L. (1966). Principle of congruity and reduction of persuasion . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 233-238.
35.
Taylor, K. (2004). Brainwashing: The science of thought control. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
36.
Tormala, Z.L., Brinol, P., & Petty, R.E. (2006). When credibility attacks: The reverse impact of source credibility on persuasion. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42, 684-691.
37.
Tormala, Z.L., & Petty, R.E. (2002). What doesn't kill me makes me stronger: The effects of resisting persuasion on attitude certainty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1298-1313.
38.
Twenge, J.M., & Baumeister, R.F. (2002). Self-control: A limited yet renewable resource. In Y. Kashima, M. Foddy, & M. Platow (Eds.), Self and identity: Personal, social, and symbolic (pp. 57-70). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
39.
Vohs, K.D., Baumeister, R.F., & Ciarocco, N. (2005). Self-regulation and self-presentation: Regulatory resource depletion impairs impression management and effortful self-presentation depletes regulatory resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 632-657.
von Hippel, W., Silver, L.A., & Lynch, M.E. (2000). Stereotyping against your will: The role of inhibitory ability in stereotyping and prejudice among the elderly. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 523-532.
42.
Wegner, D.M. (1992). You can't always think what you want: Problems in the suppression of unwanted thoughts. In M. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 25, pp. 193-225). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
43.
Wegner, D.M., Schneider, D., Carter, S.R., & White, T.L. (1987). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 5-13.
44.
Wheeler, S.C., Briñol, P., & Hermann, A.D. (2007). Resistance to persuasion as self-regulation: Ego-depletion and its effects on attitude change processes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 150-156.
45.
Zimbardo, P., Snyder, M., Thomas, J., Gold, A., & Gurwitz, S. (1970). Modifying the impact of persuasive communications with external distraction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 16, 669-680.
