TY - JOUR

T1 - Is Ego Depletion Real?

T2 - An Analysis of Arguments

AU - Friese, Malte

AU - Loschelder, David D.

AU - Gieseler, Karolin

AU - Frankenbach, Julius

AU - Inzlicht, Michael

PY - 2019/5/1

Y1 - 2019/5/1

N2 - An influential line of research suggests that initial bouts of self-control increase the susceptibility to self-control failure (ego depletion effect). Despite seemingly abundant evidence, some researchers have suggested that evidence for ego depletion was the sole result of publication bias and p-hacking, with the true effect being indistinguishable from zero. Here, we examine (a) whether the evidence brought forward against ego depletion will convince a proponent that ego depletion does not exist and (b) whether arguments that could be brought forward in defense of ego depletion will convince a skeptic that ego depletion does exist. We conclude that despite several hundred published studies, the available evidence is inconclusive. Both additional empirical and theoretical works are needed to make a compelling case for either side of the debate. We discuss necessary steps for future work toward this aim.

AB - An influential line of research suggests that initial bouts of self-control increase the susceptibility to self-control failure (ego depletion effect). Despite seemingly abundant evidence, some researchers have suggested that evidence for ego depletion was the sole result of publication bias and p-hacking, with the true effect being indistinguishable from zero. Here, we examine (a) whether the evidence brought forward against ego depletion will convince a proponent that ego depletion does not exist and (b) whether arguments that could be brought forward in defense of ego depletion will convince a skeptic that ego depletion does exist. We conclude that despite several hundred published studies, the available evidence is inconclusive. Both additional empirical and theoretical works are needed to make a compelling case for either side of the debate. We discuss necessary steps for future work toward this aim.

KW - ego depletion

KW - p-hacking

KW - replicability crisis

KW - self-control

KW - self-regulation

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85044974728&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1088868318762183

DO - 10.1177/1088868318762183

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 29591537

AN - SCOPUS:85044974728

VL - 23

SP - 107

EP - 131

JO - Personality and Social Psychology Review

JF - Personality and Social Psychology Review

SN - 1088-8683

IS - 2

ER -