Ego Depletion’s Replication Collapse

Ego depletion—the claim that willpower relies on a depletable ‘resource’—does not survive large, rigorous replications and is now taught as a replication‑crisis cautionary tale. A new defense by its creator asserts broad replicability, but prominent co‑authors argue the evidence runs the other way and that early findings reflected questionable research practices. — Retiring a once‑dominant self‑control theory reshapes how schools, clinicians, workplaces, and media frame motivation and willpower, and highlights the need for stronger methods before ideas go mainstream.