The effort paradox 1 The effort paradox: Effort is both costly and valued Michael Inzlicht1,2*, Amitai Shenhav3, & Christopher Y. Olivola4,5 1University of Toronto, Department of Psychology 2Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto 3Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, & Psychological Sciences, Brown Institute for Brain Science, Brown University 4Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University 5Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University In Press: Trends in Cognitive Sciences Word Count: 4,309 (text, plus 2 text boxes and 1 table) *Please send correspondence to: Michael Inzlicht University of Toronto Department of Psychology 1265 Military Trail Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada E-mail:
[email protected] Telephone: 416-208-4962 The effort paradox 2 Abstract According to prominent models in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and economics, effort— be it physical or mental—is costly: when given a choice, humans and non-human animals alike tend to avoid effort. Here, we suggest that the opposite is also true and review extensive evidence that effort can also add value. Not only can the same outcomes be more rewarding if we apply more (not less) effort, sometimes we select options precisely because they require effort. Given the increasing recognition of effort’s role in motivation, cognitive control, and value-based decision-making, considering this neglected side of effort will not only improve formal computational models, but also provide clues about how to promote sustained mental effort