A Multisite Preregistered Paradigmatic Test of the Ego-Depletion Effect

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • 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
  • Anand Krishna
  • Christine Lam
  • Kelemen T. Lee
  • Nick Lee
  • Dana C. Leighton
  • Heather M. Maranges
  • E. J. Masicampo
  • Kennedy Mazara
  • 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 Albarracín

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 nonsignificant 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 times 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 (i.e., 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.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPsychological Science
Volume32
Issue number10
Pages (from-to)1566-1581
Number of pages16
ISSN0956-7976
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10.2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.

    Research areas

  • ego depletion, open data, open materials, preregistered, registered replication, self-control
  • Psychology

DOI