The passage discusses a study involving two versions of a hypothetical scenario involving a medical scribe named Jeff. In one version, Jeff chooses to continue working, while in the other, he chooses to take a break due to the redundancy of his job made possible by software. The researchers found that participants perceived Jeff as less competent when he chose to keep working, but also saw him as more moral and trustworthy. This phenomenon, referred to as "effort moralization," is discussed at length in the passage.
The author, a psychology professor, highlights the tendency to attach more worth to effort regardless of its outcome. This is seen as a universal tendency, as evidenced by replications of the study in South Korea and France. The author suggests that this effort moralization leads to a work environment with perverse incentives, where the worth of a person is tied to their effort rather than their productivity. This can lead to a culture where people are forced to work excessively, even on tasks that do not contribute to societal value.
The author warns against the potential negative impacts of this culture, suggesting that it can lead to workaholism and a focus on effort over meaningful work. They argue that our society has built a culture that asks for the wrong thing - effort rather than meaningful productivity. The author concludes by suggesting that if we ask people to produce something meaningful, we will create a world full of meaning and morality.
1. The text discusses a hypothetical scenario involving a medical scribe named Jeff who is faced with the possibility of automation in his job.
2. Jeff has three years left on a guaranteed contract, and his employer gives him two options: stay home while the software does his job, or continue working for the same pay.
3. The text presents a study where half the participants chose to go home, while the other half chose to continue working.
4. The characters who chose to keep working were perceived as less competent but more moral and trustworthy.
5. The speaker, a psychology professor, and his collaborators have been researching the connection between effort and morality.
6. They found that people attach more worth to effort regardless of the productivity of the effort.
7. The research was replicated in South Korea and France, showing that the perception of effort as moral does not seem to be specific to any one culture.
8. The concept of "effort moralization" is discussed, referring to the idea that someone who works hard is seen as more moral and a better cooperation partner.
9. The speaker discusses the idea of "partner choice" in evolutionary psychology, where people try to select the best cooperation partners.
10. The text discusses the concept of "workism", a system where a job is not just a source of income, but also the source of identity and self-actualization.
11. The speaker argues that workism creates a culture that values effort over productivity, leading to perverse incentives.
12. The speaker shares a story about perverse incentives in the era of British rule in India, where a bounty was put up for every cobra skin, leading to the overpopulation of cobras.
13. The speaker suggests that the same thing may be happening with work, where we ask for the wrong thing (effort) and create a world full of hard labor and cobras (effort without meaningful productivity).