A Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion Effect.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Preregistered multicenter replication and meta-analysis of standardized experimental trials
PubMed 27474142 · doi:10.1177/1745691616652873
What was done
A preregistered multilab replication project (Registered Replication Report) was conducted across 23 independent laboratories to evaluate the ego-depletion effect. Each lab implemented a standardized sequential-task experimental protocol based on Sripada et al., where participants completed an initial self-control exertion task followed by a subsequent self-control performance task. Results across all laboratories were pooled using meta-analysis.
What was found
Across k = 23 laboratories and N = 2,141 total participants, the estimated ego-depletion effect size was small with confidence intervals encompassing zero: d = 0.04 (95% CI [-0.07, 0.15]).
Why it matters
This high-powered, preregistered multilab replication failed to detect an ego-depletion effect, presenting strong evidence against the standard sequential-task paradigm used to support the resource-depletion model of self-control.
Limits
The study tested only one specific standardized sequential-task protocol (the Sripada et al. paradigm) and cannot rule out effects under alternative experimental designs or depletion tasks. Participant demographics, baseline characteristics, and task-specific adherence details are not reported in the abstract.