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.
Dang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.