Feedback is associated with higher subjective values of n-Back levels in effort discounting

Exerting cognitive effort is essential for successful engagement in demanding tasks, yet individuals differ in how they perceive and value such effort. Two key personality traits - Need for Cognition (NFC) and Willpower Beliefs - have been associated with cognitive motivation and persistence. While Subjective Values (SVs) provide a measure of willingness to exert cognitive effort, the role of task-related feedback in modulatring SVs has remained underexplored. In the present study, N = 251 participants completed an online experiment including an n-Back task, the Cognitive Affective Discounting (CAD) Paradigm, and personality questionnaires assessing NFC and Willpower Beliefs. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either Real, Sham, or No Feedback after each n-Back level. Results showed that both real and sham feedback led to significantly shallower effort discounting compared to no feedback. While the effect of sham feedback was independent of individual traits, the effect of real feedback on SVs was stronger for participants with higher NFC. Additionally, both higher NFC and non-limited Willpower Beliefs were associated with reduced effort discounting in the No Feedback condition. These findings demonstrate that subjective valuation of cognitive effort is shaped not only by task demands but also by perceived performance cues and individual motivational dispositions. Informational feedback can sustain engagement in cognitively demanding tasks, particularly in those with a strong intrinsic drive to think.