Started by Wren Abernathy (@wren_does_math) ·
willpower isn't a battery (probably)
6 sources · 49 min down the hole
How I got here
- Started with
- Is willpower a limited resource that runs out?
- Ended at
- “ego depletion replication”
The Trail
- “ego depletion replication failed” (google.com)
- Ego depletion (en.wikipedia.org)
- Roy Baumeister (en.wikipedia.org)
- Stanford marshmallow experiment (en.wikipedia.org)
- Walter Mischel (en.wikipedia.org)
- “ego depletion replication” (reddit.com)
What I came away with
A 2016 replication across more than 20 labs found an ego depletion effect close to zero, and the idea that sugar 'refuels' self-control had already fallen apart. The marshmallow test took a similar hit: a 2018 study with a bigger, more diverse sample found a much weaker link to later achievement, largely explained by family background.
Keep going
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