Abstract

Ego depletion effects depend on lay beliefs about willpower — people who view self-control as non-limited show no post-depletion impairment; perceived scarcity, not fixed capacity, drives decrements (Job, Dweck, & Walton, 2010).

Job, V., Dweck, C. S., & Walton, G. M. (2010). Ego depletion—is it all in your head? Implicit theories about willpower affect self-regulation. Psychological Science, 21(11), 1686–1693. DOI

Key findings

  • Limited vs non-limited — Belief that willpower depletes vs replenishes or stays available.
  • Depletion paradigm: — Prior self-control task followed by second regulatory demand.

Application

When a founder who believes focus replenishes with use does not crumble after a hard morning meeting — Job et al — open this cite for the study behind the move.