Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada; Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, 105 St. George Street, Ontario M56 3E6, Canada.
Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Trends Cogn Sci. 2018 Apr;22(4):337-349. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.01.007. Epub 2018 Feb 21.
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 across time.
根据认知心理学、神经科学和经济学中的重要模型，努力（无论是体力上的还是脑力上的）都是有代价的：在面临选择时，人类和非人类动物都会倾向于避免付出努力。在这里，我们提出相反的观点也是正确的，并回顾了广泛的证据表明努力也可以增加价值。不仅如果我们付出更多（而不是更少）的努力，同样的结果可能会更有回报，有时我们选择某个选项恰恰是因为它需要付出努力。鉴于人们越来越认识到努力在动机、认知控制和基于价值的决策中的作用，考虑到努力被忽视的这一方面不仅将改进正式的计算模型，还将为如何促进长时间持续的脑力付出提供线索。
