Impact of a Scarcity Mindset on Proactive and Reactive Cognitive Control: The Role of Motivation and Cognitive Ability

Resource scarcity has been demonstrated to potentially induce a scarcity mindset in individuals, leading to a reduction in cognitive control. However, the specific facets of cognitive control affected by a scarcity mindset and the underlying mechanisms driving this effect remain not fully understood. Based on the dual mechanisms of control framework, this study examines the effects of a scarcity mindset on both proactive and reactive control (Experiment 1) and explores the underlying mechanisms (Experiment 2). Eighty-nine participants (39 in Experiment 1 and 50 in Experiment 2) were assigned to either a scarcity or neutral mindset and completed cognitive tasks while their event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded. Experiment 1 used an AX Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) to distinguish between proactive and reactive control. Results indicated that a scarcity mindset selectively weakened proactive control, as evidenced by weaker proactive control indicators (i.e., P3b), without affecting reactive control. In Experiment 2, we adjusted task cue availability before or after target onset in a cued-flanker task to manipulate the potential for proactive control. We found that the weakened proactive control observed in individuals with a scarcity mindset could be attributed to lowered motivation rather than impaired cognitive ability. Collectively, these findings provide valuable insights into how mindset influences cognitive control and offer promising implications for designing effective interventions to mitigate the negative impact of a scarcity mindset.