TRAP #116 ·VOL I The Individual · Habits, Willpower & Self-ControlLEXICON ENTRY

Willpower Fatigue

This concept has been merged with Ego Depletion Effect (Entry 207). [Note: The glucose/limited-resource model underlying the classic demonstrations has failed large-scale replication. The effect may exist in weaker form. Retained as a working model pending further research.] The phenomenological experience of reduced self-control after sustained effort is the same phenomenon as ego depletion at the practical level. All countermeasures, patterns and classifications are covered there. The key practical insight - that self-regulation capacity diminishes with use, requiring rest or environmental design rather than willpower - is fully addressed in that entry.