Govorun and Payne Ego–depletion and Prejudice Ego–depletion and Prejudice: Separating Automatic and Controlled Components

This study investigated the effect of ego–depletion on the automatic and controlled components of stereotype–based responses. Participants engaged in a depleting task for either a short or a long period of time. They then performed a weapon identification task, which served as a measure of race stereotyping. Analyses guided by the L.L. Jacoby’s (1991) process dissociation procedure indicated that ego–depletion reduced the controlled component of responses, but did not affect the automatic component. Further, ego–depletion increased stereotypical responses only among those participants who showed strong automatic stereotype activation. The discussion focuses on methodologically and theoretically integrating notions of self–control and cognitive control.