Ego depletion
Summary
Ego depletion is the proposal that self-control draws on a limited mental resource, so using willpower on one task leaves less for a later one. The classic result is reduced persistence on a second task, but replications and motivation-based accounts have challenged the resource explanation.
Detail
Meaning: Ego depletion is a theory, associated with Roy Baumeister, that self-regulation (resisting temptation, suppressing thoughts, controlling emotions, making effortful choices) draws on one shared, limited pool of mental energy, often compared to a muscle that tires. After an act of self-control, performance on a different self-control task is predicted to fall. A competing account says the drop comes from shifts in motivation and attention, not a used-up resource, and large replication attempts have found the effect small or absent. The idea is therefore debated.
On the MCAT: A passage describes two groups. One group resists tempting cookies (eating radishes instead) or suppresses a thought, while the control group does not. Both then attempt an unsolvable puzzle. Predict that the depleted group quits sooner. You may be asked to name the independent variable (demand of the first task), the dependent variable (persistence or accuracy on the second task), or a confound such as mood or motivation. You may also be asked how failed replications affect the conclusion.
Common confusion: Here "ego" means the self-regulating part of the person, not Freud's ego. The effect is described as a temporary, task-induced decline in self-control, which separates it from learned helplessness, a lasting belief that outcomes cannot be controlled.
Sources
- Psychology (Myers)
- Social Psychology (Myers)
- Psychology (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner)
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.