Ego Depletion Theory Collapsed

The long‑popular idea that self‑control is a finite, depletable mental resource has failed major replication tests and sustained critiques from within the field, including an author’s public repudiation. Prominent defenders still argue for its robustness, but the weight of replication evidence and methodological reanalysis shows the original effect is unreliable. — If a flagship psychological mechanism used in policy and self‑help is unreliable, that undercuts interventions, public trust in behavioral science, and how institutions reward theory‑driven research.