Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Coping Strategies: Problem Focused01:27

Coping Strategies: Problem Focused

173
Coping strategies are methods people use to manage, tolerate, or reduce the effects of stressors. These strategies involve both behavioral and psychological actions to handle stressful situations. One common approach is problem-focused coping, which aims to change or eliminate the source of stress rather than merely addressing its consequences. This method involves taking direct action to resolve the issue causing stress.
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
173
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

1.9K
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
1.9K
Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance01:14

Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

186
Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the...
186
Frustration and Conflict: Approach-Approach, Approach-Avoidance01:20

Frustration and Conflict: Approach-Approach, Approach-Avoidance

171
Frustration occurs when people are obstructed or prevented from achieving a desired goal or fulfilling a perceived need. For example, when someone's input is ignored in a discussion, it can lead to feelings of frustration. Conflict, however, arises from opposing interests, goals, or actions. Conflicts can take various forms based on the nature of these opposing desires or goals.
One common type of conflict is the Approach–Approach Conflict. In this case, a person faces two desirable...
171
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness01:19

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness

409
Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
409
The Influence of Cognition on Affect01:29

The Influence of Cognition on Affect

6
Cognition plays a pivotal role in shaping emotional experiences, as demonstrated by Schachter and Singer’s two-factor theory of emotion. According to this model, emotion arises from a combination of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. The body’s physiological response to stimuli is ambiguous and only gains emotional significance through cognitive labeling. For instance, an increased heart rate and adrenaline surge while standing near an attractive person may be...
6

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same authorSame journal

Throwing good effort after bad: Evidence for a sunk-cost effect in cognitive effort-based decision-making.

Cognition·2026
Same author

Correction: The neural basis of cost-benefit trade-offs in effort investment: a quantitative activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis.

Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience·2026
Same author

The neural basis of cost-benefit trade-offs in effort investment: a quantitative activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis.

Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience·2026
Same author

Demand avoidance in value-based choice under risk: A behavioral and pupillometric examination.

Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience·2026
Same author

Publisher Correction: How decoy options ferment choice biases in real-world consumer decision-making.

NPJ science of learning·2025
Same author

Advantageous and disadvantageous inequality aversion can be taught through learning of others' preferences.

eLife·2025
Same journal

Evidence for abstract spatial concept learning in young animals.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Blurred lines or clear boundaries? Synchrony and social dominance shape domain-specific self-other processing.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Knowability predicts curiosity and learning.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Cross-linguistic differences in incremental planning under uncertainty.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Sensory attenuation scales with the strength of action-outcome coupling: A psychophysical study.

Cognition·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
06:45

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

6.3K

Information about task progress modulates cognitive demand avoidance.

Sean Devine1, A Ross Otto1

  • 1Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Cognition
|March 29, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Information about task progress can motivate people to engage in challenging cognitive activities. Seeing how far you’ve come in a demanding task reduces avoidance and encourages effort.

More Related Videos

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

4.0K
Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
07:26

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm

Published on: May 4, 2020

3.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
06:45

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

6.3K
Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

4.0K
Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
07:26

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm

Published on: May 4, 2020

3.5K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Individuals often avoid effortful cognitive tasks due to high costs.
  • However, people engage in demanding activities like chess or Sudoku, suggesting other motivators exist.
  • Progress, such as task completion, may be a key factor in overcoming this aversion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if information about progress reduces the aversion to cognitively demanding tasks.
  • To determine if progress information can motivate individuals to exert more cognitive effort.
  • To examine the role of progress in decision-making between tasks of varying cognitive demand.

Main Methods:

  • Four experiments were conducted using variants of the Demand Selection Task (DST).
  • Progress information (trials completed vs. total trials) was manipulated.
  • Task demand levels were independently manipulated in within-subjects designs.

Main Results:

  • Presenting progress information significantly reduced avoidance of demanding cognitive tasks.
  • Participants preferred receiving information about their temporal progress.
  • When progress information was available, individuals chose more demanding tasks over less demanding ones.

Conclusions:

  • Progress information acts as a powerful motivator for cognitive effort expenditure.
  • This motivation can potentially override the natural bias towards avoiding demanding mental activities.
  • Understanding the impact of progress cues can inform strategies for task design and engagement.