Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Stillman, Tyler F
Author's Email Address	stillman@psy.fsu.edu
URN	etd-11092007-111244
Title	The Psychological Presence of Family Improves Self-Control
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Psychology, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Dianne M. Tice Committee Chair Charles Madsen Committee Member Roy F. Baumeister Committee Member
Keywords	family self-control
Date of Defense	2007-06-21
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Three studies supported the hypothesis that the psychological presence of family provides a temporary increase in self-control in three experiments. In Study 1, participants subliminally primed with the names of their family members subsequently performed better at an open-ended language task relative to participants primed with neutral words. Study 2 addressed two alternative ways of interpreting the results of Study 1. Participants in Study 2 who wrote a short essay about a family member with whom they had a good relationship demonstrated more self-control than those who wrote about a humorous episode or an enemy relationship, as measured by their performance on a simple but tedious math test. Study 3 was designed to demonstrate that self-control, rather than motivation, was affected by thoughts of the family. Participants primed with a visual cue of a family member ate fewer cookies than those not primed—when individual differences in eating restraint were controlled.
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