Giles H Feinberg Dr. Ezequiel Morsella Dr. Jamie Newton “Something is wrong with the mouse.”: Effort and Attitudes Abstract Why do people make their beds in the morning sometimes but on other mornings elect to leave them unmade, even though they would prefer that a bed be made? According to the Law of Least Effort, proposed by Clark Hull (1943), it is because people often decide to take a course of action that is associated with the least amount of effort. Using a custom computer-based paradigm the implications of this law were tested. The results support that there is a link between effort and attitude formation. San Francisco State University Hypothesis Hypothesis 1: The increased effort associated with using a slow computer mouse compared to a regular mouse will negatively effect likability ratings on “nonsense figures.” Hypothesis 2: The increased effort associated with using a slow computer mouse compared to a regular mouse will negatively effect likability ratings on neutral face images. Mean Likability Scores by Mouse Spe 2.9 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Regular Slow Regular Slow Mouse Speed "Nonsense Figures Neutral Face Research on The Theory of Planned Behavior suggests that people represent their surroundings, at least in part, via covert sensorimotor simulation of how they might execute an observed behavior or act on the objects they encounter. It has recently been found that a specific area of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a central role in conflict monitoring and outcome evaluation. This region of the brain essentially biases behavioral decision making toward cognitively efficient tasks and strategies Results Mean likability scores were used to represent change in participant’s attitude across conditions. Mean liking of nonsense images was higher for the regular mouse speed . Method Effort was manipulated by varying the fluidity with which the participant could operate the computer mouse. The tracking speed of the mouse cursor was adjusted by the experimenter. Likability scores quantified the degree to which participants felt positively or negatively toward each image. Conclusion Increased effort generates negative affect. The Law of Least Effort explains why participants tended toward more negative likability ratings when using a slow mouse. It is no surprise that people dislike the things that challenge them, physically or mentally. Stairs or escalator? Almost instinctively, people save the effort of walking up a flight or two of stairs, and opt for a brief, effortless escalator ride. Study 1 proves this subtle, seemingly unconscious phenomenon of preserving effort in everyday life. Beyond this, by understanding the relationship between attitudes and effort, perhaps methods can be designed to instill positive attitudes toward energy-demanding activities such as exercise, recycling, and other behaviors that are beneficial to the individual and society. Giles H. Feinberg M.A. [email protected]

Effort and Attitudes

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Giles H FeinbergDr. Ezequiel MorsellaDr. Jamie Newton

“Something is wrong with the mouse.”:Effort and Attitudes

Abstract

Why do people make their beds in the morning sometimes but on other mornings elect to leave them unmade, even though they would prefer that a bed be made? According to the Law of Least Effort, proposed by Clark Hull (1943), it is because people often decide to take a course of action that is associated with the least amount of effort. Using a custom computer-based paradigm the implications of this law were tested. The results support that there is a link between effort and attitude formation.

San Francisco State University

Hypothesis

Hypothesis 1: The increased effort associated with using a slow computer mouse compared to a regular mouse will negatively effect likability ratings on “nonsense figures.”

Hypothesis 2: The increased effort associated with using a slow computer mouse compared to a regular mouse will negatively effect likability ratings on neutral face images.

Mean Likability Scores by Mouse Spe

2.9

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

Regular Slow Regular Slow

Mouse Speed

"Nonsense Figures Neutral Face

Research on The Theory of Planned Behavior suggests that people represent their surroundings, at least in part, via covert sensorimotor simulation of how they might execute an observed behavior or act on the objects they encounter.

It has recently been found that a specific area of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a central role in conflict monitoring and outcome evaluation. This region of the brain essentially biases behavioral decision making toward cognitively efficient tasks and strategies

Results

Mean likability scores were used to represent change in participant’s attitude across conditions.

Mean liking of nonsense images was higher for the regular mouse speed .

Method

Effort was manipulated by varying the fluidity with which the participant could operate the computer mouse. The tracking speed of the mouse cursor was adjusted by the experimenter.

Likability scores quantified the degree to which participants felt positively or negatively toward each image.

ConclusionIncreased effort generates negative affect. The Law of Least Effort

explains why participants tended toward more negative likability ratings when using a slow mouse. It is no surprise that people dislike the things that challenge them, physically or mentally.

Stairs or escalator? Almost instinctively, people save the effort of walking up a flight or two of stairs, and opt for a brief, effortless escalator ride. Study 1 proves this subtle, seemingly unconscious phenomenon of preserving effort in everyday life.

Beyond this, by understanding the relationship between attitudes and effort, perhaps methods can be designed to instill positive attitudes toward energy-demanding activities such as exercise, recycling, and other behaviors that are beneficial to the individual and society.

Giles H. Feinberg [email protected]