Lack of conversational caution experienced as more enjoyable, and seen as more authenic and less racist

Physorg.com - The liberating effects of losing control

Scientists put white subjects through a battery of difficult mental tests that are designed to wear down their ability for mental discipline and self-control. The subjects then were put into a social situation with an interviewer to have a conversation about racial diversity. The hypothesis was that the subjects would be less 'guarded', a position that could be a barrier to good race relations. The control group was put into the same situation but without their self-restraint depleted. An independent group of white and black judges watched the conversations unfold. Three effects were observed: the depleted subjects were judged to be more authentic and honest vs the control; the depleted subjects rated the ensuing conversation as more enjoyable vs the control; most interestingly, the depleted subjects were judged by blacks to be less racist vs the control. The theory is that a certain element of guarded self-restraint can be a barrier to valued authentic communication.