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What Happened When Ego Depletion Was Retested?

Large preregistered replication projects found tiny or unclear effects, changing how seriously everyday advice should use ego depletion.

On this page

  • The 2016 multilab replication result
  • The 2021 preregistered test result
  • What small or unclear effects mean for advice
Preview for What Happened When Ego Depletion Was Retested?

Introduction

The most important finding from the ego depletion debate is not that researchers proved willpower does not exist. It is that the largest and most carefully planned replication projects found either no clear ego-depletion effect or only very small effects. That result matters for self-improvement because many popular recommendations were built on the assumption that self-control is a limited resource that predictably runs out after use. When researchers tested that claim across dozens of laboratories using preregistered methods and thousands of participants, the evidence became much weaker than the original literature had suggested. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev…

Replications illustration 1

The 2016 multilab replication result

The turning point came in 2016 with a Registered Replication Report led by Martin Hagger and colleagues. Twenty-three laboratories across multiple countries followed the same preregistered protocol and tested a total of 2,141 participants. The goal was simple: use a standard ego-depletion procedure and see whether people performed worse on a subsequent self-control task. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev…

The result was strikingly small. The combined effect size was d = 0.04, and the confidence interval included zero. In practical terms, the study did not find convincing evidence that the experimental manipulation reliably reduced later self-control performance. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev… [Sage Journals]journals.sagepub.comSage JournalsA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1463 — Meta-analysis of the stud…

This mattered because the project addressed several criticisms that often affect psychological findings:

  • The methods were preregistered before data collection.
  • Many independent laboratories participated.
  • The sample size was far larger than most earlier studies.
  • The same protocol was used across sites, reducing flexibility in analysis. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev…

The replication did not prove that ego depletion is impossible. Instead, it showed that one widely used version of the effect could not be reproduced at a meaningful level when tested under highly controlled conditions. That finding immediately shifted the burden of proof. Supporters of the theory increasingly had to explain why strong effects had appeared in earlier studies but not in the large replication. [Association for Psychological Science]psychologicalscience.orgreplication project investigates self control as limited resourceAssociation for Psychological ScienceReplication Project Investigates Self-Control as Limited…29 Jul 2016 — A new research replication… [Association for Psychological Science]psychologicalscience.orgreplication project investigates self control as limited resourceAssociation for Psychological ScienceReplication Project Investigates Self-Control as Limited…29 Jul 2016 — A new research replication…

Psychology and ELT - Ego Depletion

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Why supporters were not fully convinced

Advocates of ego depletion argued that the replication may have used a weak depletion task. Some researchers claimed the procedure failed to create enough self-control demand to produce the effect in the first place. Others suggested that the specific tasks chosen did not capture the broader theory adequately. [Frontiers]frontiersin.orgFrontiersA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by J Dang · 2016 · Cited by 109 — The ego depletion effect has not…

These objections kept the debate alive. Rather than ending the discussion, the 2016 project changed the question from “Does ego depletion exist?” to “Under what conditions, if any, does it appear?”

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The 2021 preregistered test result

A second major milestone arrived in 2021. Kathleen Vohs and colleagues conducted a large preregistered multisite project involving 36 laboratories and 3,531 participants. This study was partly designed to answer criticisms of the 2016 effort by using a different replication strategy. Rather than reproducing one exact experiment, laboratories used procedures intended to represent the broader ego-depletion paradigm. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev… [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCA Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the EgoPMCby KD Vohs · 2021 · Cited by 292 — We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; N = 3531) to assess the size and robu…

Despite this more theory-oriented approach, the main confirmatory result was again statistically non-significant. The reported overall effect size was d = 0.06. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev… [PMC]nih.govPMC4971805Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion Effectby J Dang · 2016 · Cited by 108 — In summary, this complementary analysis i…

This outcome was important because it narrowed the range of plausible interpretations. If the 2016 failure could be blamed on one particular task, the 2021 project tested a broader set of depletion procedures. Yet the estimated effect remained extremely small. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev…

The researchers did identify some analyses suggesting the possibility of a very small effect. Bayesian analyses and exploratory examinations pointed towards an effect that might exist but be far weaker than earlier estimates implied. Even these interpretations, however, placed the likely effect much closer to zero than the classic literature had suggested. [Carlson School of Management]carlsonschool.umn.eduvohs et al 2021 psci ego depletion0.30 toward zero. The posterior median was 0.08, 95%. CI = [0.01, 0.16] (see Fig. 3). Potential…Read more…

Replications illustration 2

The small positive replication that did not settle the debate

One complication is that not every replication failed completely. A separate preregistered multilab project led by Jinnamon Dang and colleagues, involving 1,775 participants across 12 laboratories, reported a small but statistically significant effect of d = 0.10. PMC [Sage Journals]journals.sagepub.comSage JournalsA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1463 — Meta-analysis of the stud…

However, even this more favourable result was far smaller than many early estimates. Instead of supporting a large, everyday depletion effect, it suggested that if ego depletion exists, its average impact may be modest and difficult to detect reliably. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCA Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the EgoPMCby KD Vohs · 2021 · Cited by 292 — We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; N = 3531) to assess the size and robu…

The emerging pattern across the major replication efforts was therefore surprisingly consistent: effects ranged from essentially zero to very small, rather than the medium-sized effects often discussed during the theory’s peak popularity. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev… [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev…

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What small or unclear effects mean for advice

For people interested in self-improvement that works, the practical lesson is less dramatic than either side of the debate sometimes suggests.

The replication projects do not show that self-control is an illusion. People clearly experience fatigue, distraction, temptation and reduced persistence. What the studies challenge is the specific claim that a single, limited willpower resource is being predictably drained by earlier acts of self-control. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev…

If the true effect is near zero or very small, several common pieces of advice become less persuasive:

  • Assuming every difficult decision permanently weakens later self-control.
  • Treating lapses as evidence that a fixed willpower tank has been emptied.
  • Overemphasising conservation of willpower instead of designing better environments and habits.

By contrast, the replication findings fit more comfortably with approaches that focus on context, routines, incentives, attention management and reducing friction. If depletion effects are weak, then everyday behaviour may depend more on motivation, habit strength, stress, sleep, expectations and situational cues than on a rapidly exhausted internal resource. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev… [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev…

The major replication projects therefore did not merely question one psychological theory. They changed the standard of evidence for self-control advice. After studies involving thousands of participants across dozens of laboratories, the safest conclusion is that any ego-depletion effect appears much smaller and less reliable than the classic version of the theory suggested. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev… [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion…by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev…

Replications illustration 3

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Endnotes

  1. Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27474142/
    Source snippet

    PubMedA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion...by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1461 — Meta-analysis of the studies rev...

  2. Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34520296/
    Source snippet

    PubMedA Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego...by KD Vohs · 2021 · Cited by 305 — We conducted a preregistered multilabo...

  3. Source: journals.sagepub.com
    Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691616652873
    Source snippet

    Sage JournalsA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion...by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1463 — Meta-analysis of the stud...

  4. Source: journals.sagepub.com
    Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691616652873
    Source snippet

    Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion...by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1412 — Meta-analysis of the studies revealed th...

  5. Source: psychologicalscience.org
    Title: replication project investigates self control as limited resource
    Link: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/replication-project-investigates-self-control-as-limited-resource.html
    Source snippet

    Association for Psychological ScienceReplication Project Investigates Self-Control as Limited...29 Jul 2016 — A new research replication...

  6. Source: psychologicalscience.org
    Title: replication project investigates self control as limited resource 2
    Link: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/replication-project-investigates-self-control-as-limited-resource-2
    Source snippet

    Association for Psychological ScienceReplication Project Investigates Self-Control as Limited...Aug 31, 2016 — A new research replicatio...

  7. Source: frontiersin.org
    Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01155/full
    Source snippet

    FrontiersA Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion...by J Dang · 2016 · Cited by 109 — The ego depletion effect has not...

  8. Source: carlsonschool.umn.edu
    Title: vohs et al 2021 psci ego depletion
    Link: https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/sites/carlsonschool.umn.edu/files/2026-01/vohs-et-al-2021-psci-ego-depletion.pdf
    Source snippet

    0.30 toward zero. The posterior median was 0.08, 95%. CI = [0.01, 0.16] (see Fig. 3). Potential...Read more...

  9. Source: journals.sagepub.com
    Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550619887702
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    Multilab Replication of the Ego Depletion Effectby J Dang · 2021 · Cited by 204 — For this project, we selected a procedure that has been...

  10. Source: frontiersin.org
    Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2021.658890/full
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    Again, No Evidence for or Against the Existence of Ego...by C Englert · 2021 · Cited by 39 — In 2016, Hagger and colleagues conducted a...

  11. Source: fis.dshs-koeln.de
    Title: a multilab preregistered replication of the ego depletion effect
    Link: https://fis.dshs-koeln.de/en/publications/a-multilab-preregistered-replication-of-the-ego-depletion-effect/
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    "A Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion Effect. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(4), 546-573. [https://journals..."](https://journals...")...

  12. Source: frontiersin.org
    Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01155/pdf
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    A Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion...by J Dang · 2016 · Cited by 108 — As can be seen in Supplementary Table 1, t...

  13. Source: forrt.org
    Link: https://forrt.org/curated_resources/a-multilab-preregistered-replication-of/
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    the ego-depletion...Jul 11, 2023 — Meta-analysis of the studies revealed that the size of the ego-depletion effect was small with 95% co...

Additional References

  1. Source: researchgate.net
    Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350546972_Again_No_Evidence_for_or_Against_the_Existence_of_Ego_Depletion_Opinion_on_A_Multi-Site_Preregistered_Paradigmatic_Test_of_the_Ego_Depletion_Effect
    Source snippet

    Again, No Evidence for or Against the Existence of Ego...6 May 2021 — In their recently published multi-site project, Vohs and colleague...

    Published: May 2021

  2. Source: lunduniversity.lu.se
    Link: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/lup/publication/ad4ce668-51bf-432f-90c4-e3ce03031267
    Source snippet

    multilab preregistered replication of the ego-depletion...Commentary: A multilab preregistered replication of the ego-depletion effect...

  3. Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    Title: PMCA Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego
    Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12422598/
    Source snippet

    PMCby KD Vohs · 2021 · Cited by 292 — We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; N = 3531) to assess the size and robu...

  4. Source: scholars.unf.edu
    Title: a multisite preregistered paradigmatic test of the ego depletion 2
    Link: https://scholars.unf.edu/en/datasets/a-multisite-preregistered-paradigmatic-test-of-the-ego-depletion–2/
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    Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego...We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; N = 3,531) to asses...

  5. Source: research.tilburguniversity.edu
    Title: a multi lab pre registered replication of the ego depletion effec
    Link: https://research.tilburguniversity.edu/en/publications/a-multi-lab-pre-registered-replication-of-the-ego-depletion-effec/
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    Tilburg University Research PortalA multi-lab pre-registered replication of the ego-depletion...by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1458 — Me...

  6. Source: cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl
    Title: a multilab preregistered replication of the ego depletion effect
    Link: https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/a-multilab-preregistered-replication-of-the-ego-depletion-effect/
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    Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion...by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1452 — Meta-analysis of the studies revealed th...

  7. Source: research-portal.uu.nl
    Title: a multilab preregistered replication of the ego depletion effect
    Link: https://research-portal.uu.nl/en/publications/a-multilab-preregistered-replication-of-the-ego-depletion-effect/
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    multilab preregistered replication of the ego-depletion...by MS Hagger · 2016 · Cited by 1445 — Meta-analysis of the studies revealed th...

  8. Source: academia.edu
    Link: https://www.academia.edu/27290133/A_multi_lab_pre_registered_replication_of_the_ego_depletion_effect
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    ffect was small with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that encompassed zero (d = 0.04...Read more...

  9. Source: researchgate.net
    Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299470397_A_Multilab_Preregistered_Replication_of_the_Ego-Depletion_Effect
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    was small with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that encompassed zero (d = 0.04...Read more...

  10. Source: michaelinzlicht.com
    Link: https://michaelinzlicht.com/publications/articles-chapters/tag/ego%2Bdepletion
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    November 25, 2020. Vohs, K.D., Schmeichel, B.J., Lohman, S., Gronau, Q.F....Read more...

    Published: November 25, 2020

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