Exploring the Role of Physical Effort in the Rewarding Value of Sedentary Behavior

Objective: Sedentary behavior is commonly studied based on the value of the higher-order task being performed, such as watching TV, using a phone, or playing video games. However, it is possible that the low physical effort associated with these behaviors also contributes to their appeal. That is, individuals may be drawn not just to the task but to the low effort it is paired with. This study aims to test this possibility by manipulating body position (sitting vs. standing) while participants engage in a familiar sedentary task (i.e., playing Tetris). Methods: To test this hypothesis, we manipulated body position during a smartphone video game task to examine how sitting versus standing affected the rewarding value assigned to the game. Results: Our results (two independent studies, N = 228 and N = 129) show that the rewarding value of this sedentary behavior also stems from the low effort cost associated with sitting. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the perception of effort may contribute to influencing sedentary preferences and provide valuable insights for interventions aimed at reducing excessive sedentary behavior, such as targeted strategies to increase the valuation of physical effort.