Despite the limitations we have outlined, we still think that Lange
and Eggert’s (2014) studies have made an important contribution
to the literature. Their findings indicate that the methodology of
using the same self-control task twice should be interpreted with
caution when researchers test the ego-depletion effect and the
glucose hypothesis. Although there are published studies that used
the same self-control task (see Hagger et al., 2010), we think that
researchers should use different tasks when testing novel hypothesis.
To conclude that glucose drinks fail to counteract depletion of
self-control resources, one has to make sure that depleted participants
are sufficiently motivated to tap on self-control resources and
hence capitalize on the glucose advantage. Unfortunately, the methodology
of using identical tasks does not guarantee that depleted
participants are sufficientlymotivated to exercise self-control. Hence,
Lange and Eggert’s (2014) conclusion that the ‘glucose effect’ is delusionary
is an overstatement because they adopted an experimental
paradigm that does not produce strong evidence that contradicts
this belief. Our suggestion is that researchers who test the glucose
hypothesis should employ dissimilar acts of self-control and make
sure that depleted participants are sufficiently motivated to exercise
self-control (Baumeister et al., 1998).