The positive side of effort: A review of the impact of motivation and engagement on neuropsychological performance

ABSTRACT

Almost the entirety of research on effort in clinical neuropsychology has focused on negative aspects of effort in neuropsychological assessment, with most work over the last 20 years emphasizing feigned cognitive impairment. In contrast, few studies have explored trait-level positive influences on motivation and engagement in regard to neuropsychological testing. This paper reviews potential constructs associated with positive aspects of effort in neuropsychological testing, including conation, grit, Need for Cognition, and personality factors from the Five Factor Model of personality (Big Five). Findings are discussed from a positive neuropsychological framework, with an emphasis on positive effort being conceptualized as perseverance and resiliency in cognitively demanding testing situations. Challenges for the field are discussed, and we offer suggestions for conceptualizing effort on a continuum and recommendations for future research directions.

KEYWORDS:

• Big Five
• conation
• grit
• need for cognition
• performance validity tests
• positive neuropsychology