Can we catch flies with vinegar? Recurrent issues in ego-depletion studies, and potential solutions

Abstract

Psychology suffers from the so-called “replication crisis”, which has led to question many popular psychological phenomena. Ego-depletion is among the most criticized ones, especially since attempts to improve its replicability have failed. We argue though that many replication attempts are based on inaccurate conceptions of ego-depletion. More precisely, we suggest that failures to replicate ego depletion may be due to four common issues and limits. Firstly, we discuss the regular absence of a comprehensive and integrative definition of self-control, as a set of strategies of conflict resolution, which is central to the concept of ego-depletion. Secondly, we debate the lack of distinction between ego-depletion and mental fatigue, two phenomena that induce a decrease in cognitive performance but that do not rely on the same processes. Thirdly, we argue that the tasks chosen to induce ego depletion are often inappropriate. Finally, we argue in favor of more complex and extensive approaches to investigate ego-depletion. We propose some conceptual clarifications and pave the way for studies that adopt more rigorous methodologies.