Cognitive effort is omnipresent and is becoming increasingly important in modern (work) life. Beyond individual variations in the healthy population, more severe alterations in cognitive effort are observed in diverse clinical populations. Depite its relevance, the concept of effort and the underying processes are not well understood. We aim to better understand effort-related processes and their role in motivated behavior.

To this end, we are integrating different theories of effort and motivation into one framework, and systematically test predictions derived from this using a cognitive neuroscience approach. The framework goes beyond previous work in that it not only captures the willingness to excert effort (based on a cost-benefit evaluation), but also how this willingness is translated into action (effort allocation), and how these processes are sustained and dynamically adapted over time.

In two interrelated work packages we will focus on the transition between effort evaluation and effort allocation (WP1) and on sustaining and adapting cognitive effort dynamically over time (WP2). In a third work package, our framework will be used to guide a systematic comparison between healthy participants and participants with ADHD (WP3), which display impairments in effort-related processes.

To understand the underlying cognitive processes, we will adopt a multi-method approach with a strong focus on neurocognitive measures, in particular electroencephalography (EEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and pupillometry.

Throughout the project, we will follow a rigerous experimental approach, including pregegistration via the Open Science Framework, and promote intense collaborations between all team members across work packages to accommodate the dynamic nature of the framework. Beyond a better basic understanding of the underlying processes, this project will provide tools to better assess cognitive effort and may also help to develop interventions to improve (work) life of individuals – especially those with clinical alterations.