Ego depletion in emotional labor: The role of humor and methods of acting

Based on the psychological resource model developed by Baumeister and colleagues (Baumeister, 1998, 2001), the current study examined ego depletion (i.e., psychological resource depletion manifested as performance deficiency on self-regulation and volitional tasks) experienced by service workers who perform emotional labor on the job. The results of a laboratory experiment with a work simulation of face-to-face service transactions showed that acting methods (surface vs. deep acting) had a main effect on depletion, while acting methods and exposure to humor interacted to affect service performance after prior engagement in emotional labor tasks. These findings have direct practical implications for stress and service performance management.