Taking a fresh perspective: Vicarious restoration as a means of recovering self-control

In the realm of self-regulation, recent work shows that the state of ego depletion can be vicariously transmitted from a target to a perceiver simply by imagining the perspective of a depleted target (i.e., vicarious depletion; Ackerman et al., 2009). The present study asked whether such vicarious effects can extend to the domain of self-regulatory recovery. In Experiment 1, depleted participants who took the perspective of someone engaging in a restorative activity showed recovered self-control on a later task. Experiments 2 and 3 expanded upon this effect by illustrating that such vicarious self-regulatory processes only emerge if the target is similar to the participant. Taken together, the present studies offer a powerful method by which mental resources can be replenished, and identify one critical boundary condition of its effectiveness.

► We examined if perspective-taking can help recover self-control resources. ► Taking another's restored perspective led to vicariously restored self-control. ► This restorative effect is removed when the target is an outgroup member. ► Outgroup targets also attenuate vicarious depletion effects. ► Perspective-taking appears to be a fast and effortless route to mental restoration.