Tracking the temporal dynamics of post-effort reward valuation: The role of individual differences in physical effort...

Although physical effort is often perceived as aversive, substantial interindividual variability in effort processing has been observed, suggesting that its impact on reward valuation may vary across individuals. Here, we examined whether individual differences in physical effort valuation were associated with reward feedback processing following physical effort in a low-contingency context.

Sixty healthy young adults (M_age = 21.30 years, SD = 4.85) completed an Effort-Doors task using finger press to manipulate effort during electroencephalographic recording. Reward processing was primarily indexed by gain-loss difference scores (ΔRewP), with parent event-related potential (ERP) amplitudes to gain and loss feedback examined as complementary measures. Individual differences in physical effort valuation were assessed using the Physical Effort Scale (PES).

In a context in which effort was assigned and reward outcomes were decoupled from effort level, prior physical effort did not significantly modulate ΔRewP, and no moderation by individual differences in physical effort valuation was observed. Exploratory parent-wave ERP analyses showed a similar pattern, although a significant interaction between feedback and effort-avoidance tendencies suggested greater gain-loss differentiation among individuals with stronger avoidance of physical effort, primarily driven by loss-related feedback responses.

Under low perceived control, noncontingent finger exertion did not significantly modulate reward feedback processing. Although exploratory results suggest that effort-avoidance tendencies may be associated with reward-related neural responses, these findings should be interpreted cautiously within the low-contingency context of the present task.