A systematic review of effort discounting research in humans: Current knowledge, recommendations, and future directions
Effort is a ubiquitous feature in the decision-making literature. Increasing numbers of studies examine the effect of effort requirements on behavior using a discounting framework, assessing the process by which the subjective value of an outcome decreases as the effort required to obtain it increas...
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| Format: | Article |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Judgment and Decision Making |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297525100090/type/journal_article |
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| author | Gisel G. Escobar Suzanne H. Mitchell |
| author_facet | Gisel G. Escobar Suzanne H. Mitchell |
| author_sort | Gisel G. Escobar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Effort is a ubiquitous feature in the decision-making literature. Increasing numbers of studies examine the effect of effort requirements on behavior using a discounting framework, assessing the process by which the subjective value of an outcome decreases as the effort required to obtain it increases. Therefore, a review of methodological approaches, findings, and issues is timely. Accordingly, in this systematic review, we identified research studies examining effort discounting to explore how choice architecture factors used in delay discounting and other experimental manipulations affected effort discounting, and the mathematical descriptors used to summarize the relationship between subjective value and effort requirements. Our analysis suggests an area ripe for future research and identifies important knowledge gaps. These gaps are attributable to the use of divergent definitions of effort, as well as highly heterogeneous methodologies, which limit our ability to generate strong conclusions about the intersection between effort and delay discounting processes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e70da2c00fba41a0b53b85828b0d4c5e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1930-2975 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Judgment and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj-art-e70da2c00fba41a0b53b85828b0d4c5e2025-08-26T03:43:03ZengCambridge University PressJudgment and Decision Making1930-29752025-01-012010.1017/jdm.2025.10009A systematic review of effort discounting research in humans: Current knowledge, recommendations, and future directionsGisel G. Escobar0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6822-8341Suzanne H. Mitchell1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0225-7200https://ror.org/01tmp8f25 National Autonomous University of Mexico , Mexico City, MexicoOregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, Portland, OR, USAEffort is a ubiquitous feature in the decision-making literature. Increasing numbers of studies examine the effect of effort requirements on behavior using a discounting framework, assessing the process by which the subjective value of an outcome decreases as the effort required to obtain it increases. Therefore, a review of methodological approaches, findings, and issues is timely. Accordingly, in this systematic review, we identified research studies examining effort discounting to explore how choice architecture factors used in delay discounting and other experimental manipulations affected effort discounting, and the mathematical descriptors used to summarize the relationship between subjective value and effort requirements. Our analysis suggests an area ripe for future research and identifies important knowledge gaps. These gaps are attributable to the use of divergent definitions of effort, as well as highly heterogeneous methodologies, which limit our ability to generate strong conclusions about the intersection between effort and delay discounting processes.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297525100090/type/journal_articleeffort discountingsystematic reviewexperimental manipulationsmathematical modelshumans |
| spellingShingle | Gisel G. Escobar Suzanne H. Mitchell A systematic review of effort discounting research in humans: Current knowledge, recommendations, and future directions Judgment and Decision Making effort discounting systematic review experimental manipulations mathematical models humans |
| title | A systematic review of effort discounting research in humans: Current knowledge, recommendations, and future directions |
| title_full | A systematic review of effort discounting research in humans: Current knowledge, recommendations, and future directions |
| title_fullStr | A systematic review of effort discounting research in humans: Current knowledge, recommendations, and future directions |
| title_full_unstemmed | A systematic review of effort discounting research in humans: Current knowledge, recommendations, and future directions |
| title_short | A systematic review of effort discounting research in humans: Current knowledge, recommendations, and future directions |
| title_sort | systematic review of effort discounting research in humans current knowledge recommendations and future directions |
| topic | effort discounting systematic review experimental manipulations mathematical models humans |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297525100090/type/journal_article |
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