Learned industriousness.

Abstract

Extensive research with animals and humans indicates that rewarded effort contributes to durable individual differences in industriousness. It is proposed that reinforcement for increased physical or cognitive performance, or for the toleration of aversive stimulation, conditions rewards value to the sensation of high effort and thereby reduces effort's aversiveness. The conditioning of secondary reward value to the sensation of effort provides a dynamic mechanism by which reinforced high performance generalizes across behaviors. Applications to self-control, moral development, and education are described.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Model, processes and outcomes

“…The range of measures of ACT processes is still limited, however. A wide range of concepts and measures seem to overlap with the ACT model, and researchers are beginning to explore connections with such concepts as distress tolerance (Brown xxx), learned industriousness (Eisenberger, 1992), thought suppression (Wenzlaff & Wegner, 2000), delay discounting (Myerson & Green, 1995), strivings (Sheldon, Ryan, Deci, & Kasser, 2004), mindfulness (Baer xxx ), metacognition (Wells, 2000), decentering (Watkins, Teasdale, & Williams, 2000) and the like. As the ACT / RFT research program expands a wider variety of theoretically coherent measures, including some outside of self-report, seem likely to be available to refine the tests of an ACT model.…”

The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure.

“…Eisenberger (1992) discusses how effort toward a goal can be conditioned to take on the reinforcing effects of the goal itself, an effect referred to as learned industriousness. This follows directly from classical conditioning, in which as long as effort leads to success at least intermittently, effort will begin to be perceived as reinforcing in itself (i.e., a secondary reinforcer).…”

Predictors of individual-level innovation at work: A meta-analysis.

“…Additionally, if submitting suggestions or implementing innovative work processes is rewarded by the organization through monetary or other extrinsic means, individuals may be more motivated to be actively involved in such processes (Eisenberger & Rhoades, 2001). This refers to learned industriousness theory (Eisenberger, 1992), in which individuals learn which performance dimensions (e.g., innovation) lead to rewards and are motivated to perform them accordingly. Alternatively, some researchers have posited a 'paradox of rewards' in which extrinsic motivation may undermine intrinsic motivation over time, particularly for children and adolescents (Deci, Koestner, & Ryan, 1999).…”