A recent meta-analysis published in Psychological Bulletin has confirmed what many have long suspected —engaging in critical thinking is not just hard work but also mentally draining and often unpleasant.
The study, led by psychologists Louise David, Eliana Vassena, and Erik Bijleveld, found that mental effort is consistently linked to negative emotions across a variety of populations and tasks.
This revelation suggests that critical thinking, often celebrated as an essential skill for personal and professional success, comes at a real psychological cost.
“Overall, mental effort felt aversive in different types of tasks (e.g., tasks with and without feedback), in different types of populations (e.g., university-educated populations and non-university-educated populations), and on different continents,” researchers wrote. “Supporting theories that conceptualize effort as a cost, we suggest that mental effort is inherently aversive.”
This new meta-analytic review scientifically supports what many people have long felt in their everyday lives: thinking hard is uncomfortable.
The study, published in the September 2024 issue of Psychological Bulletin, brings together data from over 170 studies conducted across 29 countries, examining more than 4,600 participants. The findings clearly show that mental effort, especially in tasks that demand sustained attention and cognitive focus, is inherently aversive.
The meta-analysis reveals that people from different walks of life—from students to healthcare workers and military employees—report negative emotions when engaging in mentally demanding activities.
Whether solving complex problems, navigating virtual reality environments, or performing cognitive performance tasks, the more effort the task required, the more unpleasant it felt to participants.
The researchers argue that this discomfort is universal and suggest that mental effort can be conceptualized as a form of psychological cost.
The research team utilized the NASA Task Load Index, a widely used tool for measuring cognitive workload, to assess participants’ experiences of effort and emotional discomfort.
As they delved into the data, the team discovered a robust correlation between mental exertion and negative affect—that is, the more a task required someone to think critically or solve a problem, the worse they tended to feel about it.
Evolution could offer a potential explanation for why critical thinking can be so mentally and physically taxing.
When we engage in tasks that demand significant cognitive effort, it depletes our mental resources. However, our brains have historically evolved to conserve energy. As a result, the discomfort we feel during complex thinking might be the brain’s way of signaling that it needs rest and recovery.”
In other words, while our modern society values intellect and complex thinking, our brains are still hardwired to avoid mentally strenuous activities when possible.
This could explain why many procrastinate or shy away from tasks requiring deep concentration, such as studying for exams, preparing detailed reports, or even reflecting on difficult life decisions.
What sets this recent study apart is its scope and diversity. The 170 studies that were reviewed covered various task types and populations, from amateur athletes to university students to healthcare workers.
Despite this broad sample, the results were strikingly consistent. Whether participants were located in Europe, North America, or Asia, and regardless of the type of task they were completing, mental effort was strongly associated with negative emotions.
Interestingly, the study found that only one factor moderated the effect—effort seemed slightly less aversive to participants in Asia than those in Europe and North America.
The researchers suggest that cultural factors might be at play here. In some Asian cultures, there is a greater emphasis on discipline and perseverance, which might influence how people experience mentally demanding tasks. However, the overall conclusion remains: thinking hard generally feels bad, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.
These new findings have profound implications for both the workplace and educational settings.
In schools, students are frequently encouraged to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving activities. While these are essential skills for academic success, the findings suggest that teachers and educators should be aware of the mental toll these activities can take on students.
Prolonged engagement in mentally demanding tasks without adequate breaks could lead to burnout or disengagement, particularly for younger students who may still need the emotional tools to manage these feelings of discomfort.
Similarly, the workplace is rife with tasks that require sustained mental effort. Whether analyzing data, writing reports, or brainstorming strategies, employees frequently find themselves in situations where they must think critically.
The study suggests managers should be mindful of this cognitive load and offer more frequent breaks or a shift toward collaborative problem-solving, which might spread the mental burden across a team and alleviate some of the psychological stress associated with individual problem-solving.
The results also explain why people are so susceptible to disinformation or misinformation, particularly in the era of social media. The critical thinking necessary to parse through false information is inherently unpleasant. Therefore, accepting information that seems plausible or aligns with preexisting beliefs is often easier.
One big question from this study is whether people can train themselves to cope better with mentally demanding tasks.
While the researchers did not focus on specific interventions, past research suggests certain strategies might help. Regular mental exercises, such as meditation or mindfulness, can improve focus and reduce the negative emotional impact of mental effort over time. Cognitive behavioral techniques, which help people reframe negative thinking, could also provide a way to make hard thinking feel less unpleasant.
Despite these potential solutions, the implications are that mental effort will never feel entirely comfortable.
“The main takeaway is that mental effort often feels unpleasant, regardless of the task or individual,” study co-author and a PhD student at the School of Health Professions Education at Maastricht University, Louise David, told PsyPost. “Our study confirmed a strong and consistent link between mental effort and negative emotions, such as frustration or irritation. This suggests that, even in situations designed to be engaging or rewarding, people still find effort aversive.”
While the findings confirm that critical thinking is unpleasant, they also highlight the importance of balancing mental effort and recovery.
Ultimately, by acknowledging the inherent discomfort of hard thinking, we can better prepare ourselves to engage in the mental tasks that matter most—without burning out in the process.
If nothing else, this study powerfully validates the old adage that thinking hard really is hard work.
Tim McMillan is a retired law enforcement executive, investigative reporter and co-founder of The Debrief. His writing typically focuses on defense, national security, the Intelligence Community and topics related to psychology. You can follow Tim on Twitter: @LtTimMcMillan. Tim can be reached by email: tim@thedebrief.org or through encrypted email: LtTimMcMillan@protonmail.com