New research shows that mental exertion is often linked with negative emotions.
A meta-analysis of 170 studies revealed that regardless of the task or population, increased mental effort correlates with feelings of frustration and stress. This phenomenon is less pronounced in Asian populations, possibly due to different educational experiences. Despite this, people still engage in mentally challenging tasks like chess, driven by the rewards rather than enjoyment of the effort itself.
Mental Effort and Discomfort
According to research published by the American Psychological Association, if somebody complains that it hurts to think, they may be onto something, as mental exertion appears to be associated with unpleasant feelings in many situations.
"Managers often encourage employees, and teachers often encourage students, to exert mental effort. On the surface, this seems to work well: Employees and students do often opt for mentally challenging activities," said senior author Erik Bijleveld, PhD, of Radboud University. "From this, you may be tempted to conclude that employees and students tend to enjoy thinking hard. Our results suggest that this conclusion would be false: In general, people really dislike mental effort."
The research was published in the journal Psychological Bulletin.
Insights From a Comprehensive Meta-Analysis
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 170 studies, published between 2019 and 2020 and comprising 4,670 participants, to examine how people generally experience mental effort. They did so by testing whether mental effort is associated with unpleasant feelings and whether that association depends on the task or the population involved.
The studies used a variety of participants (e.g., healthcare employees, military employees, amateur athletes, college students) from 29 countries and involved 358 different cognitive tasks (e.g., learning a new technology, finding one's way around an unfamiliar environment, practicing golf swings, playing a virtual reality game). In all studies analyzed, participants reported the level of effort they exerted as well as the extent to which they experienced unpleasant feelings such as frustration, irritation, stress, or annoyance.
Across all populations and tasks, the greater the mental effort, the greater the unpleasantness experienced by participants.
Design Considerations for Professionals
"Our findings show that mental effort feels unpleasant across a wide range of populations and tasks," said Bijleveld. "This is important for professionals, such as engineers and educators, to keep in mind when designing tasks, tools, interfaces, apps, materials, or instructions. When people are required to exert substantial mental effort, you need to make sure to support or reward them for their effort."
One interesting finding, according to Bijleveld, was that while the association between mental effort and adverse feelings was still significant, it was less pronounced in studies conducted in Asian countries compared with those in Europe or North America. This fits with the general idea that the aversiveness of mental effort may depend on people's learning history. High school students in Asian countries tend to spend more time on schoolwork than their European or North American counterparts and may therefore learn to withstand higher levels of mental exertion early on in their lives, he said.
Behavioral Implications of Mental Effort
More important is the real-world observation that despite the aversive nature of mentally challenging tasks, people still voluntarily engage in them said Bijleveld.
"For example, why do millions of people play chess? People may learn that exerting mental effort in some specific activities is likely to lead to reward. If the benefits of chess outweigh the costs, people may choose to play chess, and even self-report that they enjoy chess," he said. "Yet, when people choose to pursue mentally effortful activities, this should not be taken as an indication that they enjoy mental effort per se. Perhaps people choose mentally effortful activities despite the effort, not because of it."
Reference: "The unpleasantness of thinking: A meta-analytic review of the association between mental effort and negative affect" by Louise David, MSc, Maastricht University; Eliana Vassena, PhD, and Erik Bijleveld, PhD, Radboud University, 5 August 2024, Psychological Bulletin.
DOI: 10.1037/bul0000443
News
AI-designed universal coronavirus vaccine clears first human trial
Key Takeaways Super-Antigen Technology: Uses AI and machine learning to analyze viral genomes, creating a single vaccine that targets essential features across entire virus families, including coronaviruses and Ebola. Human Trials & Safety: Phase [...]
Researchers Discover a Hidden Vitamin D Problem That Persists Year-Round
A new study suggests that some groups may not experience the expected seasonal boost in vitamin D levels, even during the sunniest months of the year. Many people assume that spending more time outdoors [...]
Researchers Solve the Mystery Behind a Billion-Dollar Dental Implant Disease
Researchers have uncovered why a common and costly dental implant infection often resists antibiotics. Dental implants have helped tens of millions of people regain a full set of stable, functional teeth, something traditional dentures [...]
Nanoparticles inspired by lung fluid improve therapies targeting respiratory system
The CIC biomaGUNE Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials has developed pulmonary surfactant nanoparticles (the blend of lipids and proteins that line the alveoli and enables breathing), which are encapsulated [...]
Scientists Finally Uncover How a “Forever Chemical” Causes Birth Defects
PFDA, a PFAS “forever chemical,” can cause craniofacial birth defects by disrupting retinoic acid regulation during fetal development, revealing the first clear molecular mechanism behind the link. Researchers have long linked perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), [...]
Scientists Have Discovered These Deadly Parasites Are Secretly Swapping DNA
Leishmania parasites appear to evolve through widespread genetic exchange, reshaping assumptions about how they adapt and spread. A parasite long thought to spread mostly by cloning itself may be far more genetically dynamic than [...]
Stanford’s Revolutionary New Microscope Reveals Living Cells in Stunning Detail
Stanford researchers have developed a microscope that can show how nanostructures interact inside living cells at the highest resolution achieved so far. The view into living cells just got better. Stanford researchers have merged [...]
What Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines and treatments are under development
By Mariam Sunny and Jennifer Rigby May 29 (Reuters) – Global health authorities are racing to identify medical options to help contain an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, linked to the [...]
Why More People in Their 30s Are Suddenly Getting Colon Cancer
A major Swiss study found that colorectal cancer is becoming increasingly common in adults under 50, even as rates decline in older age groups. Researchers in Switzerland have identified a concerning trend: while colorectal [...]
Researchers Compare MS Models to Human Tissue in Search for Better Therapies
Researchers identified key differences between two widely used multiple sclerosis models, showing how each can better study myelin damage, immune responses, and repair. The findings may improve efforts to develop treatments that restore lost [...]
Scientists Discover Genetic “Off Switch” That Supercharges CAR T Cells Against Cancer
A new study reveals a possible way to make CAR T-cell therapy more durable and effective by targeting a single gene-regulating protein. CAR T-cell therapy is widely seen as a breakthrough in personalized cancer [...]
New Vitamin B12-Based Therapy Could Change How Brain Cancer Is Treated
Researchers have identified a vitamin B12–based compound that appears capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier and selectively accumulating in glioblastoma tissue. For decades, one of the biggest problems in brain cancer treatment has had [...]
Simple Fiber Supplement Cuts Knee Arthritis Pain in Just 6 Weeks, Study Finds
A daily inulin supplement may help reduce knee osteoarthritis pain while revealing a possible link between gut health, muscle function, and pain sensitivity. For millions of people living with knee osteoarthritis, managing chronic pain [...]
This Common Vitamin May Help Stop Prediabetes From Turning Into Diabetes
Vitamin D may help prevent type 2 diabetes in people with specific genetic variations, offering a possible path toward personalized diabetes prevention. More than 40% of U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which [...]
Ebola, hantavirus: Is the world prepared for the next pandemic?
Funding cuts to health research and a growing antivaccine movement are making it harder than ever to respond to viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and [...]
May 2026 Healthcare News and Trends: Market Signals That Matter
Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines, telehealth has settled into a new normal, and digital health continues to promise transformation. However, much of what is being discussed in healthcare today reflects potential rather than reality. [...]
