Does willpower mindset really moderate the ego-depletion effect? A preregistered replication of Job, Dweck, and Walton (2010).
Level 2 - randomized trial
Randomized experimental study (Level 2 by design analogy for non-clinical behavioral research)
PubMed 37384732 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0287911
What was done
In a preregistered replication of Job, Dweck, and Walton (2010, Study 1), 187 participants completed either a control or a depleting version of a letter-cancellation task followed by a Stroop color-word interference task to assess self-control performance. The authors evaluated whether individual differences in willpower mindset (believing willpower is limited versus nonlimited) moderated the ego-depletion effect.
What was found
The abstract reports no exact numerical values, effect sizes, or p-values. The authors found neither a statistically significant main effect of ego depletion on Stroop task performance nor a statistically significant moderation of performance by willpower mindset.
Why it matters
These results challenge the claim that holding a nonlimited willpower mindset protects against ego depletion, adding to broader replication failures surrounding both the resource model of self-control and its psychological moderators.
Limits
The abstract does not provide exact numerical results, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or details about the sample population (e.g., age, demographics, or recruitment setting). It evaluates a specific task pairing (letter cancellation and Stroop) in a single experimental setting.
Cited by
- contradicts Individuals who believe willpower is limited exhibit the ego depletion effect after strenuous tasks, whereas individuals who believe willpower is non-limited or self-renewing do not show depletion.