Ego depletion increases risk-taking: evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic context

During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals have endured significant mental strain, leading to ego depletion - a phenomenon characterized by impaired self-regulation after exerting repeated self-control. Our study aimed to examine the effect of ego depletion on risk-taking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided a naturalistic scenario for examining its role in risk-taking. Specifically, data were collected during the later phase of the pandemic in October 2022, a period characterized by recurrent lockdowns and strict campus closures in accordance with China's pandemic control policy. The final sample consisted of 1,609 adults (69% male) who were under lockdown at the time of data collection (mean age = 22.04, SD = 5.28). We first validated the occurrence of ego depletion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the moderated mediation analysis revealed that self-depletion during lockdown promoted the risk-taking tendency, and this relationship was mediated by the intolerance of uncertainty. Moreover, this mediation effect was reinforced in individuals with high depletion sensitivity. This study provides strong evidence supporting the notion that ego depletion promotes risk-taking behavior.