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Decomposing the motivation to exert mental effort.
Amitai Shenhav1, Mahalia Prater Fahey1, Ivan Grahek1
1Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, & Psychological Sciences and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
Current Directions in Psychological Science
|October 22, 2021
Summary
Understanding motivation for mental effort is key. The Expected Value of Control model explains how people weigh costs versus benefits, offering insights into performance variability.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Decision-making
Background:
- Goal achievement relies on cognitive control, but individual success varies.
- Motivation is crucial for cognitive control, yet its determinants are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the determinants of motivation for performing tasks.
- To understand variability in real-world performance through a novel model.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the Expected Value of Control (EVC) model.
- Functionally decomposing the cost-benefit analysis of mental effort.
Main Results:
- The EVC model simulates how individuals assess the costs and benefits of mental effort.
- The model helps explain individual differences in motivation and task performance.
Conclusions:
- The EVC model provides a framework for understanding motivation for mental effort.
- It offers new predictions for performance variability and identifies limitations in current research.
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