Emotions Shape Effort-Reward Choices: Positive Valence Decreases Effort, Except Under High Arousal

This study examined how the emotional dimensions of arousal and valence influence effort-based decision-making. Twenty-eight participants were exposed to either low arousal & high valence (-A/+V) or high arousal & low valence (+A/-V) stimuli in a task that required choosing between a more rewarding but also more effortful option versus a less effortful but also less rewarding one. We recorded eye movements, fixation times, and self-reported arousal and valence ratings. Results showed that participants in the +A/-V condition were more likely to select the effortful option (62% vs. 56%), with a significant interaction between arousal and valence (β= 0.46, 95% CI [0.26, 0.67]; p <.001). Specifically, positive valence reduced preference for effortful choices, but this effect became null under high arousal. Additionally, participants in the -A/+V condition took longer to make decisions and attended more to reward information than to effort information. These findings suggest complex emotional influences on effort-based decisions.