Aidan Campbell
@aidanvcampbell.bsky.social
Psychology PhD student at University of Toronto interested in:
effort | self-control | wellbeing
effort | self-control | wellbeing
Reposted by Aidan Campbell
Effort feels bad. We dodge it, minimize it, complain about it. But we also crave it. In our new paper, we revisit the effort paradox and show why the aversion and the attraction make sense. With @aidanvcampbell.bsky.social & @blairsaunders.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Effort paradox redux: Rethinking how effort shapes social behavior
Effort is a fundamental paradox in human behavior: while organisms typically avoid it as costly and aversive, effort is also valued and actively pursu…
www.sciencedirect.com
July 30, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Effort feels bad. We dodge it, minimize it, complain about it. But we also crave it. In our new paper, we revisit the effort paradox and show why the aversion and the attraction make sense. With @aidanvcampbell.bsky.social & @blairsaunders.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🎉 Our paper is now out in Communications Psychology!
We explore how effortful leisure (like puzzling) can be a source of meaning in daily life.
Across 5 studies (N = 2,569), we find:
- Effort makes leisure feel more meaningful
- But not necessarily less enjoyable
🧵 doi.org/10.1038/s442...
We explore how effortful leisure (like puzzling) can be a source of meaning in daily life.
Across 5 studies (N = 2,569), we find:
- Effort makes leisure feel more meaningful
- But not necessarily less enjoyable
🧵 doi.org/10.1038/s442...
Effortful leisure is a source of meaning in everyday life - Communications Psychology
Five studies, including experiments and experience-sampling, show effortful leisure feels more meaningful than less effortful leisure while maintaining enjoyment. Results suggest effortful leisure can...
doi.org
July 24, 2025 at 3:44 PM
🎉 Our paper is now out in Communications Psychology!
We explore how effortful leisure (like puzzling) can be a source of meaning in daily life.
Across 5 studies (N = 2,569), we find:
- Effort makes leisure feel more meaningful
- But not necessarily less enjoyable
🧵 doi.org/10.1038/s442...
We explore how effortful leisure (like puzzling) can be a source of meaning in daily life.
Across 5 studies (N = 2,569), we find:
- Effort makes leisure feel more meaningful
- But not necessarily less enjoyable
🧵 doi.org/10.1038/s442...
Reposted by Aidan Campbell
Japan gets something we don't: the subway cleaner and burger cook aren't weird for caring so much about his work—they're practicing a philosophy of presence. Meanwhile we optimize everything into meaninglessness. New post!
open.substack.com/pub/michaeli...
open.substack.com/pub/michaeli...
Why We Love Hard Work
In the busiest train station in the world, I stare at a man fully absorbed in his work: cleaning station walls.
open.substack.com
May 28, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Japan gets something we don't: the subway cleaner and burger cook aren't weird for caring so much about his work—they're practicing a philosophy of presence. Meanwhile we optimize everything into meaninglessness. New post!
open.substack.com/pub/michaeli...
open.substack.com/pub/michaeli...
Reposted by Aidan Campbell
🚨New paper alert! 🚨
I've been fascinated by this contradiction for years: we hate exerting effort, yet we value things more when they're difficult to achieve. Is the effort paradox real, illusory, or adaptive? Have a read!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I've been fascinated by this contradiction for years: we hate exerting effort, yet we value things more when they're difficult to achieve. Is the effort paradox real, illusory, or adaptive? Have a read!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Effort paradox redux: Rethinking how effort shapes social behavior
Effort is a fundamental paradox in human behavior: while organisms typically avoid it as costly and aversive, effort is also valued and actively pursu…
www.sciencedirect.com
May 16, 2025 at 12:53 PM
🚨New paper alert! 🚨
I've been fascinated by this contradiction for years: we hate exerting effort, yet we value things more when they're difficult to achieve. Is the effort paradox real, illusory, or adaptive? Have a read!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I've been fascinated by this contradiction for years: we hate exerting effort, yet we value things more when they're difficult to achieve. Is the effort paradox real, illusory, or adaptive? Have a read!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Aidan Campbell
I confess: I spent decades selling a self-control narrative that was wrong. My latest post explains why willpower doesn't work the way we thought, and how we accidentally created a moral meritocracy around personality traits we don't choose.
open.substack.com/pub/michaeli...
open.substack.com/pub/michaeli...
The Self-Control Industrial Complex
A Confession
open.substack.com
April 30, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I confess: I spent decades selling a self-control narrative that was wrong. My latest post explains why willpower doesn't work the way we thought, and how we accidentally created a moral meritocracy around personality traits we don't choose.
open.substack.com/pub/michaeli...
open.substack.com/pub/michaeli...
Reposted by Aidan Campbell
The Paradox of Hard Work: Why do people enjoy doing difficult things?
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
The Paradox of Hard Work
Why do people enjoy doing difficult things?
www.theatlantic.com
March 26, 2025 at 11:08 PM
The Paradox of Hard Work: Why do people enjoy doing difficult things?
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
Reposted by Aidan Campbell
Received news that my paper with @minzlicht.bsky.social was accepted at Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin🥳. In it, we examine how trait measures of empathy predict everyday state empathy, and what this teaches us about how we measure and experience empathy: osf.io/preprints/ps... #empathy
March 26, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Received news that my paper with @minzlicht.bsky.social was accepted at Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin🥳. In it, we examine how trait measures of empathy predict everyday state empathy, and what this teaches us about how we measure and experience empathy: osf.io/preprints/ps... #empathy
Does effort make life more meaningful? Was Sisyphus living the dream? In our new paper (now accepted in Cognition!), across 6 studies with nearly 3,000 participants, we found that more effortful tasks feel more meaningful 🧵
January 13, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Does effort make life more meaningful? Was Sisyphus living the dream? In our new paper (now accepted in Cognition!), across 6 studies with nearly 3,000 participants, we found that more effortful tasks feel more meaningful 🧵