Wasilewicz, Mariusz (2016) Does an Ego Depletion Effect Exist? A Comparison of Competing Experimental Methodologies. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The ability to inhibit impulses and delay instant gratification enables people to engage in socially acceptable goal-directed behaviour. Extensive empirical evidence over the last two decades supported that self-control relies upon a limited expendable resource that becomes depleted through repeated use, leading to state of self-control failure known as ego depletion. In response to falsifying evidence from the international replication effort by Hagger and colleagues for the Open Science Collaboration (OSC), this present study aimed to replicate the Hagger’s experiment whilst addressing identified methodological limitations common throughout ego depletion experiments. The present study (N = 135) involved a pre- followed by a post- depletion MSIT measuring mean reaction time (RT; in milliseconds) after each participant was asked to complete one of three letter “e” word recognition tasks: an electronic depleting task or a non-depletion task (control condition) replicating those from the OSC, or a pen and paper version involving behavioural inhibition and gross motor movement (as per Roy F. Baumeister recommendations). Results of the current study showed that there was a significant difference in performance (faster mean RT) for both Hagger conditions on the MSIT suggesting very strong practice effects were present. The difference between MSIT’s was, however, non-significant for the Baumeister condition, suggesting that the depletion task parameters counteracted these same practice effects. These findings replicated those of the OSC’s and provided support for Baumeister’s recommendations for ego depletion task parameters.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Michael Ireland |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Sep 2025 01:16 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Sep 2025 01:16 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ego depletion ; self-control ; strength model |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52858 |
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