Revisiting Ego Depletion: Evidence from Multi-Lab Collaborations
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The ego depletion effect posits that initial exertion of self-control impairs subsequent self-regulatory performance. Despite being examined in over 1000 independent studies and cited extensively, recent large-scale studies have questioned its validity. We propose that the replicability of ego depletion may hinge on the intensity of the manipulation. Our new paradigm, involving a demanding antisaccade task lasting for 30–40 min followed by a Go-Nogo task, was tested across 14 samples, totaling 2078 participants worldwide, both in laboratory settings and online. Results consistently demonstrated significant ego depletion effects (d = 0.31 to 0.35) with minimal heterogeneity (I2 = 0). Bayesian meta-analysis further supported these findings with strong evidence (BF10 > 700). This study underscores the importance of manipulation intensity in ego depletion research and provides a reliable method for future studies. These findings have significant implications for resolving empirical controversies in ego depletion and addressing the broader replication crisis in psychology.
Authors: Dang, Junhua, Xiao, Shanshan, Mao, Lihua, Liu, Xiaoping, Baumert, Anna, Bonneterre, Solenne, Cai, Shiyu, Chen, Xiaoxi, de Chanaleilles, Margaux, Ding, Ning, Fan, Wei, Feng, Yi, Gao, Dingguo, He, Xiaoqing, Huang, Wanting, Ismail, Ismaharif, Jia, Lile, Li, Haijiang, Li, Ruijing, Li, Zhenhua, Lim, Chunhui, Linke, Laura, Nie, Yangang, Qiao, Zhihong, Ren, Mengmeng, Sevincer, A. Timur, Tan, Jingbin, Wang, Ziyi, Wu, Song, Zerhouni, Oulmann, Zhong, Yiping, Zhu, Yalin, Zinkernagel, Axel, Schiöth, Helgi B.
Language: English
Subfield: Applied Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7124164917
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