Experimental evidence that exerting effort increases meaning

Abstract

Efficiency demands that we work smarter and not harder, but is this better for our wellbeing? Here, we ask if exerting effort can increase feelings of meaning and purpose. In five studies (N = 1543), we manipulated how much effort participants exerted on a task and then assessed how meaningful they found those tasks. In Studies 1 and 2, we presented hypothetical scenarios, whereby participants imagined themselves (or others) exerting more or less effort on a writing task, and then asked participants how much meaning they believed they (or others) would derive. In Studies 3 and 4, we randomly assigned participants to complete inherently meaningless tasks that were harder or easier to complete, and again asked them how meaningful they found the tasks. In Study 5, we randomly assigned participants to complete a brief writing assignment with or without the help of ChatGPT, thereby making the task less or more effortful, and again asked participants how meaningful they found the assignment. In all studies, the more effort participants exerted (or imagined exerting), the more meaning they derived (or imagined deriving). These studies suggest a causal link, whereby effort begets feelings of meaning. They also suggest that part of the reason this link exists is that effort begets feeling of competence and mastery, although the evidence is preliminary and inconsistent. Effort, beyond being a mere cost, is a source of personal meaning and value, fundamentally influencing how individuals and observers perceive and derive satisfaction from tasks.