It Really Hurts To Think, New Study Concludes

Mental exertion often leads to irritation, frustration, or other negative feelings, supporting the idea that it "hurts to think," according to new research published by the American Psychological Association (APA), Susan Kreimer reported for United Press International (UPI).

The new study suggests that people do not always enjoy thinking hard.:

The study, conducted by Radboud University in the Netherlands, was published in the APA's monthly journal, Psychological Bulletin. Managers and educators frequently encourage individuals to engage in mentally challenging activities, implying that people enjoy thinking hard.

However, the new study suggests the opposite, according to senior author Erik Bijleveld, a psychologist and associate professor at Radboud University, who communicated with UPI via email.

"So, it is useful to realize that, when it is really necessary to ask people to exert substantial mental effort, it is best to support or reward them," Bijleveld stated.

He noted, "There is a longstanding controversy in psychology about mental effort. Many psychologists assume that people avoid mental effort whenever they can."

Instead of engaging in mentally taxing activities, people may opt for "mental shortcuts, like going with their gut feeling when making a decision—say, about which restaurant to go to—rather than weighing all relevant pieces of information, which involves a lot of mental work," Bijleveld explained.