Economists have known for centuries that to understand an individual's decisions, we must consider not only the objective value of the goal at stake, but its subjective value as well. However, achieving that goal ultimately requires expenditure of effort. Surprisingly, despite the ubiquitous role of effort in decision-making and movement, we currently do not understand how effort is subjectively valued in daily movements. Part of the difficulty arises from the lack of an objective measure of effort. Here, we use a physiological approach to address this knowledge gap. We quantified objective effort costs by measuring metabolic cost via expired gas analysis as participants performed a reaching task against increasing resistance. We then used neuroeconomic methods to quantify each individual's subjective valuation of effort. Rather than the diminishing sensitivity observed in reward valuation, effort was valued objectively, on average. This is significantly less than the near-quadratic sensitivity to effort observed previously in force-based motor tasks. Moreover, there was significant inter-individual variability with many participants undervaluing or overvaluing effort. These findings demonstrate that in contrast with monetary decisions in which subjective value exhibits diminishing marginal returns, effort costs are valued more objectively in low-effort reaching movements common in daily life.

几个世纪以来，经济学家都知道，要了解个人的决策，我们不仅要考虑所涉目标的客观价值，还要考虑其主观价值。然而，实现这一目标最终需要付出努力。令人惊讶的是，尽管努力在决策和运动中的作用无处不在，但我们目前并不了解努力在日常运动中的主观价值。部分困难源于缺乏客观的努力衡量标准。在这里，我们使用生理学方法来解决这一知识差距。我们通过过期气体分析测量代谢成本来量化客观努力成本，因为参与者执行了一项对抗增加阻力的到达任务。然后我们使用神经经济学方法来量化每个人对努力的主观评价。与在奖励估值中观察到的敏感性下降不同，努力被客观地、平均地估值。这明显低于之前在基于力的运动任务中观察到的对努力的近二次方敏感性。此外，存在显着的个体差异，许多参与者低估或高估了努力。这些发现表明，与主观价值表现出边际收益递减的货币决策相比，在日常生活中常见的低努力到达运动中，努力成本的估值更为客观。存在显着的个体差异，许多参与者低估或高估了努力。这些发现表明，与主观价值表现出边际收益递减的货币决策相比，在日常生活中常见的低努力到达运动中，努力成本的估值更为客观。存在显着的个体差异，许多参与者低估或高估了努力。这些发现表明，与主观价值表现出边际收益递减的货币决策相比，在日常生活中常见的低努力到达运动中，努力成本的估值更为客观。