---
_id: '64859'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: This study investigated whether external effort mobilization through try-harder
    instructions enhances performance in complex motor tasks, as reflected by the
    reduction of costs associated with producing a deceptive action. Basketball passing
    movements with and without head fakes were examined in a reaction-time paradigm.
    Participants were generally instructed to initiate the movement as fast and accurately
    as possible, while try-harder instructions were presented in 25 % of trials, prompting
    participants to mobilize all their cognitive resources to perform even faster.
    To investigate if athletic expertise modulates the potential effects of effort
    mobilization, basketball novices and experienced players were tested. Results
    demonstrated that try-harder instructions generally improved participants’ performance,
    facilitating faster response initiation times and movement execution, as well
    as a specific reduction in initiation time variability. Novices benefited more
    than experienced players, indicating that effort results in greater improvement
    when complex motor actions (for example, passes with head fakes) are not yet fully
    stabilized and lack automated fluency. This pattern suggests that effort enhances
    performance in complex actions when performance is limited by the amount of cognitive
    capacity available, supporting the coordination of partly conflicting movement
    components within tight temporal constraints. The findings extend previous research
    on effort mobilization from simple to complex motor tasks. Try-harder instructions
    appear to enhance performance primarily by reducing attentional lapses rather
    than generally improving processing speed. Future research should investigate
    the effectiveness of effort mobilization in experienced athletes in situations
    of high concurrent cognitive load.
article_number: '103083'
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Nils Tobias
  full_name: Böer, Nils Tobias
  id: '52000'
  last_name: Böer
  orcid: 0000-0002-0236-7282
- first_name: Michael B.
  full_name: Steinborn, Michael B.
  last_name: Steinborn
- first_name: Matthias
  full_name: Weigelt, Matthias
  id: '36388'
  last_name: Weigelt
- first_name: Iris
  full_name: Güldenpenning, Iris
  id: '52931'
  last_name: Güldenpenning
  orcid: 0000-0003-0549-5543
citation:
  ama: 'Böer NT, Steinborn MB, Weigelt M, Güldenpenning I. Mobilizing effort in complex
    motor tasks: Try-harder instructions in deceptive actions. <i>Psychology of Sport
    and Exercise</i>. 2026;84. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083">10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083</a>'
  apa: 'Böer, N. T., Steinborn, M. B., Weigelt, M., &#38; Güldenpenning, I. (2026).
    Mobilizing effort in complex motor tasks: Try-harder instructions in deceptive
    actions. <i>Psychology of Sport and Exercise</i>, <i>84</i>, Article 103083. <a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083</a>'
  bibtex: '@article{Böer_Steinborn_Weigelt_Güldenpenning_2026, title={Mobilizing effort
    in complex motor tasks: Try-harder instructions in deceptive actions}, volume={84},
    DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083">10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083</a>},
    number={103083}, journal={Psychology of Sport and Exercise}, publisher={Elsevier
    BV}, author={Böer, Nils Tobias and Steinborn, Michael B. and Weigelt, Matthias
    and Güldenpenning, Iris}, year={2026} }'
  chicago: 'Böer, Nils Tobias, Michael B. Steinborn, Matthias Weigelt, and Iris Güldenpenning.
    “Mobilizing Effort in Complex Motor Tasks: Try-Harder Instructions in Deceptive
    Actions.” <i>Psychology of Sport and Exercise</i> 84 (2026). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083</a>.'
  ieee: 'N. T. Böer, M. B. Steinborn, M. Weigelt, and I. Güldenpenning, “Mobilizing
    effort in complex motor tasks: Try-harder instructions in deceptive actions,”
    <i>Psychology of Sport and Exercise</i>, vol. 84, Art. no. 103083, 2026, doi:
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083">10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083</a>.'
  mla: 'Böer, Nils Tobias, et al. “Mobilizing Effort in Complex Motor Tasks: Try-Harder
    Instructions in Deceptive Actions.” <i>Psychology of Sport and Exercise</i>, vol.
    84, 103083, Elsevier BV, 2026, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083">10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083</a>.'
  short: N.T. Böer, M.B. Steinborn, M. Weigelt, I. Güldenpenning, Psychology of Sport
    and Exercise 84 (2026).
date_created: 2026-03-05T16:55:30Z
date_updated: 2026-03-05T16:58:54Z
department:
- _id: '17'
- _id: '266'
doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083
intvolume: '        84'
keyword:
- Effort
- Try-harder instruction
- Deception
- Basketball
- Head fake
- Fake production
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103083
oa: '1'
publication: Psychology of Sport and Exercise
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 1469-0292
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier BV
status: public
title: 'Mobilizing effort in complex motor tasks: Try-harder instructions in deceptive
  actions'
type: journal_article
user_id: '52000'
volume: 84
year: '2026'
...
---
_id: '45779'
author:
- first_name: Nils Tobias
  full_name: Böer, Nils Tobias
  id: '52000'
  last_name: Böer
  orcid: 0000-0002-0236-7282
- first_name: Matthias
  full_name: Weigelt, Matthias
  id: '36388'
  last_name: Weigelt
- first_name: Iris
  full_name: Güldenpenning, Iris
  id: '52931'
  last_name: Güldenpenning
  orcid: 0000-0003-0549-5543
citation:
  ama: 'Böer NT, Weigelt M, Güldenpenning I. The influence of effort instructions
    on producing head fakes in basketball . In: Merz S, Frings C, Leuchtenberg B,
    et al., eds. <i>Abstracts of the 65th Conference of Experimental Psychologists
    (TeaP)</i>. ; 2023:66-67. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945">https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945</a>'
  apa: Böer, N. T., Weigelt, M., &#38; Güldenpenning, I. (2023). The influence of
    effort instructions on producing head fakes in basketball . In S. Merz, C. Frings,
    B. Leuchtenberg, B. Moeller, S. Mueller, R. Neumann, B. Pastötter, L. Pingen,
    &#38; G. Schui (Eds.), <i>Abstracts of the 65th Conference of Experimental Psychologists
    (TeaP)</i> (pp. 66–67). <a href="https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945">https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945</a>
  bibtex: '@inproceedings{Böer_Weigelt_Güldenpenning_2023, place={Trier}, title={The
    influence of effort instructions on producing head fakes in basketball }, DOI={<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945">https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945</a>},
    booktitle={Abstracts of the 65th Conference of Experimental Psychologists (TeaP)},
    author={Böer, Nils Tobias and Weigelt, Matthias and Güldenpenning, Iris}, editor={Merz,
    Simon and Frings, Christian and Leuchtenberg, Bettina and Moeller, Birte and Mueller,
    Stefanie and Neumann, Roland and Pastötter, Bernhard and Pingen, Leah and Schui,
    Gabriel}, year={2023}, pages={66–67} }'
  chicago: Böer, Nils Tobias, Matthias Weigelt, and Iris Güldenpenning. “The Influence
    of Effort Instructions on Producing Head Fakes in Basketball .” In <i>Abstracts
    of the 65th Conference of Experimental Psychologists (TeaP)</i>, edited by Simon
    Merz, Christian Frings, Bettina Leuchtenberg, Birte Moeller, Stefanie Mueller,
    Roland Neumann, Bernhard Pastötter, Leah Pingen, and Gabriel Schui, 66–67. Trier,
    2023. <a href="https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945">https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945</a>.
  ieee: 'N. T. Böer, M. Weigelt, and I. Güldenpenning, “The influence of effort instructions
    on producing head fakes in basketball ,” in <i>Abstracts of the 65th Conference
    of Experimental Psychologists (TeaP)</i>, Trier, 2023, pp. 66–67, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945">https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945</a>.'
  mla: Böer, Nils Tobias, et al. “The Influence of Effort Instructions on Producing
    Head Fakes in Basketball .” <i>Abstracts of the 65th Conference of Experimental
    Psychologists (TeaP)</i>, edited by Simon Merz et al., 2023, pp. 66–67, doi:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945">https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945</a>.
  short: 'N.T. Böer, M. Weigelt, I. Güldenpenning, in: S. Merz, C. Frings, B. Leuchtenberg,
    B. Moeller, S. Mueller, R. Neumann, B. Pastötter, L. Pingen, G. Schui (Eds.),
    Abstracts of the 65th Conference of Experimental Psychologists (TeaP), Trier,
    2023, pp. 66–67.'
conference:
  end_date: 2023-03-29
  location: Trier
  name: 65th Conference of Experimental Psychologists (TeaP)
  start_date: 2023-03-26
date_created: 2023-06-26T12:57:41Z
date_updated: 2023-09-22T07:06:50Z
ddc:
- '150'
department:
- _id: '17'
- _id: '266'
doi: https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12945
editor:
- first_name: Simon
  full_name: Merz, Simon
  last_name: Merz
- first_name: Christian
  full_name: Frings, Christian
  last_name: Frings
- first_name: Bettina
  full_name: Leuchtenberg, Bettina
  last_name: Leuchtenberg
- first_name: Birte
  full_name: Moeller, Birte
  last_name: Moeller
- first_name: Stefanie
  full_name: Mueller, Stefanie
  last_name: Mueller
- first_name: Roland
  full_name: Neumann, Roland
  last_name: Neumann
- first_name: Bernhard
  full_name: Pastötter, Bernhard
  last_name: Pastötter
- first_name: Leah
  full_name: Pingen, Leah
  last_name: Pingen
- first_name: Gabriel
  full_name: Schui, Gabriel
  last_name: Schui
file:
- access_level: closed
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: iguelden
  date_created: 2023-09-09T11:10:22Z
  date_updated: 2023-09-09T11:10:22Z
  file_id: '46922'
  file_name: Böer et al., Abstract TeaP Trier 2023.pdf
  file_size: 123029
  relation: main_file
  success: 1
file_date_updated: 2023-09-09T11:10:22Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
keyword:
- perception
- action preparation
- movement planning
- effort instructions
language:
- iso: eng
page: 66-67
place: Trier
publication: Abstracts of the 65th Conference of Experimental Psychologists (TeaP)
publication_status: published
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'The influence of effort instructions on producing head fakes in basketball '
type: conference_abstract
user_id: '52931'
year: '2023'
...
---
_id: '17653'
author:
- first_name: Gleb
  full_name: Polevoy, Gleb
  id: '83983'
  last_name: Polevoy
- first_name: M.M.
  full_name: de Weerdt, M.M.
  last_name: de Weerdt
citation:
  ama: 'Polevoy G, de Weerdt MM. Reciprocation Effort Games. In: <i>Proceedings of
    the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>. CCIS. Springer; 2017.'
  apa: Polevoy, G., &#38; de Weerdt, M. M. (2017). Reciprocation Effort Games. In
    <i>Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>.
    Springer.
  bibtex: '@inproceedings{Polevoy_de Weerdt_2017, series={CCIS}, title={Reciprocation
    Effort Games}, booktitle={Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial
    Intelligence}, publisher={Springer}, author={Polevoy, Gleb and de Weerdt, M.M.},
    year={2017}, collection={CCIS} }'
  chicago: Polevoy, Gleb, and M.M. de Weerdt. “Reciprocation Effort Games.” In <i>Proceedings
    of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>. CCIS. Springer,
    2017.
  ieee: G. Polevoy and M. M. de Weerdt, “Reciprocation Effort Games,” in <i>Proceedings
    of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>, 2017.
  mla: Polevoy, Gleb, and M. M. de Weerdt. “Reciprocation Effort Games.” <i>Proceedings
    of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>, Springer, 2017.
  short: 'G. Polevoy, M.M. de Weerdt, in: Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference
    on Artificial Intelligence, Springer, 2017.'
date_created: 2020-08-06T15:20:09Z
date_updated: 2022-01-06T06:53:16Z
department:
- _id: '63'
- _id: '541'
extern: '1'
keyword:
- interaction
- reciprocation
- contribute
- shared effort
- curbing
- convergence
- threshold
- Nash equilibrium
- social welfare
- efficiency
- price of anarchy
- price of stability
language:
- iso: eng
publication: Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence
publisher: Springer
series_title: CCIS
status: public
title: Reciprocation Effort Games
type: conference
user_id: '83983'
year: '2017'
...
---
_id: '17654'
author:
- first_name: Gleb
  full_name: Polevoy, Gleb
  id: '83983'
  last_name: Polevoy
- first_name: M.M.
  full_name: de Weerdt, M.M.
  last_name: de Weerdt
citation:
  ama: 'Polevoy G, de Weerdt MM. Competition between Cooperative Projects. In: <i>Proceedings
    of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>. CCIS. Springer;
    2017.'
  apa: Polevoy, G., &#38; de Weerdt, M. M. (2017). Competition between Cooperative
    Projects. In <i>Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>.
    Springer.
  bibtex: '@inproceedings{Polevoy_de Weerdt_2017, series={CCIS}, title={Competition
    between Cooperative Projects}, booktitle={Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference
    on Artificial Intelligence}, publisher={Springer}, author={Polevoy, Gleb and de
    Weerdt, M.M.}, year={2017}, collection={CCIS} }'
  chicago: Polevoy, Gleb, and M.M. de Weerdt. “Competition between Cooperative Projects.”
    In <i>Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>.
    CCIS. Springer, 2017.
  ieee: G. Polevoy and M. M. de Weerdt, “Competition between Cooperative Projects,”
    in <i>Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>,
    2017.
  mla: Polevoy, Gleb, and M. M. de Weerdt. “Competition between Cooperative Projects.”
    <i>Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence</i>,
    Springer, 2017.
  short: 'G. Polevoy, M.M. de Weerdt, in: Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference
    on Artificial Intelligence, Springer, 2017.'
date_created: 2020-08-06T15:20:19Z
date_updated: 2022-01-06T06:53:16Z
department:
- _id: '63'
- _id: '541'
extern: '1'
keyword:
- agents
- projects
- contribute
- shared effort game
- competition
- quota
- threshold
- Nash equilibrium
- social welfare
- efficiency
- price of anarchy
- price of stability
language:
- iso: eng
publication: Proceedings of the 29th Benelux Conference on Artificial Intelligence
publisher: Springer
series_title: CCIS
status: public
title: Competition between Cooperative Projects
type: conference
user_id: '83983'
year: '2017'
...
---
_id: '17659'
author:
- first_name: Gleb
  full_name: Polevoy, Gleb
  id: '83983'
  last_name: Polevoy
- first_name: Stojan
  full_name: Trajanovski, Stojan
  last_name: Trajanovski
- first_name: Mathijs M.
  full_name: de Weerdt, Mathijs M.
  last_name: de Weerdt
citation:
  ama: 'Polevoy G, Trajanovski S, de Weerdt MM. Nash Equilibria in Shared Effort Games.
    In: <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and
    Multi-Agent Systems</i>. AAMAS ’14. Richland, SC: International Foundation for
    Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems; 2014:861-868.'
  apa: 'Polevoy, G., Trajanovski, S., &#38; de Weerdt, M. M. (2014). Nash Equilibria
    in Shared Effort Games. In <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference
    on Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent Systems</i> (pp. 861–868). Richland, SC:
    International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems.'
  bibtex: '@inproceedings{Polevoy_Trajanovski_de Weerdt_2014, place={Richland, SC},
    series={AAMAS ’14}, title={Nash Equilibria in Shared Effort Games}, booktitle={Proceedings
    of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent Systems},
    publisher={International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems},
    author={Polevoy, Gleb and Trajanovski, Stojan and de Weerdt, Mathijs M.}, year={2014},
    pages={861–868}, collection={AAMAS ’14} }'
  chicago: 'Polevoy, Gleb, Stojan Trajanovski, and Mathijs M. de Weerdt. “Nash Equilibria
    in Shared Effort Games.” In <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference
    on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems</i>, 861–68. AAMAS ’14. Richland,
    SC: International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, 2014.'
  ieee: G. Polevoy, S. Trajanovski, and M. M. de Weerdt, “Nash Equilibria in Shared
    Effort Games,” in <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous
    Agents and Multi-agent Systems</i>, 2014, pp. 861–868.
  mla: Polevoy, Gleb, et al. “Nash Equilibria in Shared Effort Games.” <i>Proceedings
    of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems</i>,
    International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, 2014, pp.
    861–68.
  short: 'G. Polevoy, S. Trajanovski, M.M. de Weerdt, in: Proceedings of the 2014
    International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, International
    Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, Richland, SC, 2014, pp.
    861–868.'
date_created: 2020-08-06T15:21:26Z
date_updated: 2022-01-06T06:53:16Z
department:
- _id: '63'
- _id: '541'
extern: '1'
keyword:
- competition
- equilibrium
- market
- models
- shared effort games
- simulation
language:
- iso: eng
page: 861-868
place: Richland, SC
publication: Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents
  and Multi-agent Systems
publication_identifier:
  isbn:
  - 978-1-4503-2738-1
publisher: International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems
series_title: AAMAS '14
status: public
title: Nash Equilibria in Shared Effort Games
type: conference
user_id: '83983'
year: '2014'
...
---
_id: '17660'
author:
- first_name: Gleb
  full_name: Polevoy, Gleb
  id: '83983'
  last_name: Polevoy
- first_name: Mathijs M.
  full_name: de Weerdt, Mathijs M.
  last_name: de Weerdt
citation:
  ama: 'Polevoy G, de Weerdt MM. Improving Human Interaction in Crowdsensing. In:
    <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent
    Systems</i>. AAMAS ’14. Richland, SC: International Foundation for Autonomous
    Agents and Multiagent Systems; 2014:1741-1742.'
  apa: 'Polevoy, G., &#38; de Weerdt, M. M. (2014). Improving Human Interaction in
    Crowdsensing. In <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous
    Agents and Multi-agent Systems</i> (pp. 1741–1742). Richland, SC: International
    Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems.'
  bibtex: '@inproceedings{Polevoy_de Weerdt_2014, place={Richland, SC}, series={AAMAS
    ’14}, title={Improving Human Interaction in Crowdsensing}, booktitle={Proceedings
    of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent Systems},
    publisher={International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems},
    author={Polevoy, Gleb and de Weerdt, Mathijs M.}, year={2014}, pages={1741–1742},
    collection={AAMAS ’14} }'
  chicago: 'Polevoy, Gleb, and Mathijs M. de Weerdt. “Improving Human Interaction
    in Crowdsensing.” In <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous
    Agents and Multi-Agent Systems</i>, 1741–42. AAMAS ’14. Richland, SC: International
    Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, 2014.'
  ieee: G. Polevoy and M. M. de Weerdt, “Improving Human Interaction in Crowdsensing,”
    in <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and
    Multi-agent Systems</i>, 2014, pp. 1741–1742.
  mla: Polevoy, Gleb, and Mathijs M. de Weerdt. “Improving Human Interaction in Crowdsensing.”
    <i>Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent
    Systems</i>, International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems,
    2014, pp. 1741–42.
  short: 'G. Polevoy, M.M. de Weerdt, in: Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference
    on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, International Foundation for Autonomous
    Agents and Multiagent Systems, Richland, SC, 2014, pp. 1741–1742.'
date_created: 2020-08-06T15:21:35Z
date_updated: 2022-01-06T06:53:16Z
department:
- _id: '63'
- _id: '541'
extern: '1'
keyword:
- dynamics
- emotion modeling
- negotiation
- network interaction
- shared effort game
language:
- iso: eng
page: 1741-1742
place: Richland, SC
publication: Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Autonomous Agents
  and Multi-agent Systems
publication_identifier:
  isbn:
  - 978-1-4503-2738-1
publisher: International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems
series_title: AAMAS '14
status: public
title: Improving Human Interaction in Crowdsensing
type: conference
user_id: '83983'
year: '2014'
...