Dispositional individual differences in cognitive effort investment: establishing the core construct

Corinna Kührt,Stefan J Kiebel,Sebastian Pannasch,Alexander Strobel

doi:10.1186/s40359-021-00512-x

Abstract

BackgroundIndividuals tend to avoid effortful tasks, regardless of whether they are physical or mental in nature. Recent experimental evidence is suggestive of individual differences in the dispositional willingness to invest cognitive effort in goal-directed behavior. The traits need for cognition (NFC) and self-control are related to behavioral measures of cognitive effort discounting and demand avoidance, respectively. Given that these traits are only moderately related, the question arises whether they reflect a common core factor underlying cognitive effort investment. If so, the common core of both traits might be related to behavioral measures of effort discounting in a more systematic fashion. To address this question, we aimed at specifying a core construct of cognitive effort investment that reflects dispositional differences in the willingness and tendency to exert effortful control.MethodsWe conducted two studies (N = 613 and N = 244) with questionnaires related to cognitive motivation and effort investment including assessment of NFC, intellect, self-control and effortful control. We first calculated Pearson correlations followed by two mediation models regarding intellect and its separate aspects, seek and conquer, as mediators. Next, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis of a hierarchical model of cognitive effort investment as second-order latent variable. First-order latent variables were cognitive motivation reflecting NFC and intellect, and effortful self-control reflecting self-control and effortful control. Finally, we calculated Pearson correlations between factor scores of the latent variables and general self-efficacy as well as traits of the Five Factor Model of Personality for validation purposes.ResultsOur findings support the hypothesized correlations between the assessed traits, where the relationship of NFC and self-control is specifically mediated via goal-directedness. We established and replicated a hierarchical factor model of cognitive motivation and effortful self-control that explains the shared variance of the first-order factors by a second-order factor of cognitive effort investment.ConclusionsTaken together, our results integrate disparate literatures on cognitive motivation and self-control and provide a basis for further experimental research on the role of dispositional individual differences in goal-directed behavior and cost–benefit-models.

Highlights

Individuals tend to avoid effortful tasks, regardless of whether they are physical or mental in nature
We address the question whether we can derive a common core construct that (a) provides a single measure of cognitive effort investment to relate to behavioral measures of effort discounting and demand avoidance without having to correct for multiple testing
This paper addresses the following questions: What have need for cognition (NFC) and self-control in common (H1)? Can we integrate effort related traits into one general measure of cognitive effort investment (H2, H3)? Is this general measure associated with other effort-related traits (H4)? Are the findings reproducible and reliable?

Summary

Introduction

Individuals tend to avoid effortful tasks, regardless of whether they are physical or mental in nature. The traits need for cognition (NFC) and self-control are related to behavioral measures of cognitive effort discounting and demand avoidance, respectively Given that these traits are only moderately related, the question arises whether they reflect a common core factor underlying cognitive effort investment. The common core of both traits might be related to behavioral measures of effort discounting in a more systematic fashion To address this question, we aimed at specifying a core construct of cognitive effort investment that reflects dispositional differences in the willingness and tendency to exert effortful control. As the net value of a specific benefit is the result of both its actual and perceived effort to attain the benefit, individuals typically favor less cognitively demanding tasks given the same reward This is commonly labeled as effort discounting [9,10,11]. Individuals high in self-control showed less demand avoidance

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