“A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect”, Kathleen D. Vohs, Brandon J. Schmeichel, Sophie Lohmann, Quentin F. Gronau, Anna J. Finley, Sarah E. Ainsworth, Jessica L. Alquist, Michael D. Baker, Ambra Brizi, Angelica Bunyi, Grant J. Butschek, Collier Campbell, Jonathan Capaldi, Chuting Cau, Heather Chambers, Nikos L. D. Chatzisarantis, Weston J. Christensen, Samuel L. Clay, Jessica Curtis, Valeria De Cristofaro, Kareena del Rosario, Katharina Diel, Yasemin Doğruol, Megan Doi, Tina L. Donaldson, Andreas B. Eder, Mia Ersoff, Julie R. Eyink, Angelica Falkenstein, Bob M. Fennis, Matthew B. Findley, Eli J. Finkel, Victoria Forgea, Malte Friese, Paul Fuglestad, Natasha E. Garcia-Willingham, Lea F. Geraedts, Will M. Gervais, Mauro Giacomantonio, Bryan Gibson, Karolin Gieseler, Justina Gineikiene, Elana M. Gloger, Carina M. Gobes, Maria Grande, Martin S. Hagger, Bethany Hartsell, Anthony D. Hermann, Jasper J. Hidding, Edward R. Hirt, Josh Hodge, Wilhelm Hofmann, Jennifer L. Howell, Robert D. Hutton, Michael Inzlicht, Lily James, Emily Johnson, Hannah L. Johnson, Sarah M. Joyce, Yannick Joye, Jan Helge Kaben, Lara K. Kammrath, Caitlin N. Kelly, Brian L. Kissell, Sander L. Koole, An, Krishna, Christine Lam, Kelemen T. Lee, Nick Lee, Dana C. Leighton, David D. Loschelder, Heather M. Maranges, E. J. Masicampo, Kennedy Mazara Junior, Samantha McCarthy, Ian McGregor, Nicole L. Mead, Wendy B. Mendes, Carine Meslot, Nicholas M. Michalak, Marina Milyavskaya, Akira Miyake, Mehrad Moeini-Jazani, Mark Muraven, Erin Nakahara, Krishna Patel, John V. Petrocelli, Katja M. Pollak, Mindi M. Price, Haley J. Ramsey, Maximilian Rath, Jacob A. Robertson, Rachael Rockwell, Isabella F. Russ, Marco Salvati, Blair Saunders, Anne Scherer, Astrid Schütz, Kristin N. Schmitt, Suzanne C. Segerstrom, Benjamin Serenka, Konstantyn Sharpinskyi, Meaghan Shaw, Janelle Sherman, Yu Song, Nicholas Sosa, Kaitlyn Spillane, Julia Stapels, Alec J. Stinnett, Hannah R. Strawser, Kate Sweeny, Dominic Theodore, Karine Tonnu, Yasmijn van Oldenbeuving, Michelle R. vanDellen, Raiza C. Vergara, Jasmine S. Walker, Christian E. Waugh, Feline Weise, Kaitlyn M. Werner, Craig Wheeler, Rachel A. White, Aaron L. Wichman, Bradford J. Wiggins, Julian A. Wills, Janie H. Wilson, Eric-Jan Wagenmakers, Dolores Albarracín2021-09-14 (willpower; backlinks):
We conducted a preregistered multilaboratory project (k = 36; n = 3,531) to assess the size and robustness of ego-depletion effects using a novel replication method, termed the paradigmatic replication approach. Each laboratory implemented one of two procedures that was intended to manipulate self-control and tested performance on a subsequent measure of self-control.
Confirmatory tests found a non-statistically-significant result (d = 0.06). Confirmatory Bayesian meta-analyses using an informed-prior hypothesis (δ = 0.30, SD = 0.15) found that the data were 4× more likely under the null than the alternative hypothesis. Hence, preregistered analyses did not find evidence for a depletion effect.
Exploratory analyses on the full sample (ie. ignoring exclusion criteria) found a statistically-significant effect (d = 0.08); Bayesian analyses showed that the data were about equally likely under the null and informed-prior hypotheses. Exploratory moderator tests suggested that the depletion effect was larger for participants who reported more fatigue but was not moderated by trait self-control, willpower beliefs, or action orientation.