Universität zu Köln

Emanuel, Aviv ORCID: 0000-0003-3760-3289, Katzir, Maayan and Liberman, Nira (2022). Why Do People Increase Effort Near a Deadline? An Opportunity-Cost Model of Goal Gradients. J. Exp. Psychol.-Gen., 151 (11). S. 2910 - 2927. WASHINGTON: AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC. ISSN 1939-2222

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Abstract

People tend to gradually reduce effort when performing lengthy tasks, experiencing physical or mental fatigue. Yet, they often increase their effort near deadlines. How can both phenomena co-occur? If fatigue causes the level of effort to decline, why does effort rise again near a deadline? The present article proposes a model to explain this pattern of behavior and tests three predictions that follow from it. Four lab experiments (N = 311) show that effort, indexed by the rate of keypresses in a computer game, increases more steeply (a) toward a deadline than toward a performance criterion, (b) when a concurrent task is present (vs. absent), and (c) with more (vs. less) effective actions. We suggest that changes in opportunity-cost, which is the cost of missing out on alternatives when engaging in a focal action, can explain these effects. Specifically, we suggest that as the deadline approaches, (a) the value of performing competing, alternative activities decreases because they can be postponed past the deadline with lower cost, and (b) engaging in competing alternatives becomes increasingly more costly, because compensating for the lost time becomes more difficult. Both processes contribute to diminishing the net value of alternative activities and thus reduce the opportunity cost associated with engaging in the focal activity. We discuss the practical implications of this model for diverse fields such as economic behavior, sports, and education.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Emanuel, Aviv UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-3760-3289 UNSPECIFIED Katzir, Maayan UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Liberman, Nira UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-672082
DOI:	10.1037/xge0001218
Journal or Publication Title:	J. Exp. Psychol.-Gen.
Volume:	151
Number:	11
Page Range:	S. 2910 - 2927
Date:	2022
Publisher:	AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC
Place of Publication:	WASHINGTON
ISSN:	1939-2222
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language PACING STRATEGIES; HYPOTHESIS; AVOIDANCE; IDENTIFICATION; COMPETITION; MOTIVATION; CONFLICT; PROGRESS; PATTERN Multiple languages Psychology, Experimental Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/67208