Effort justification is a cognitive bias where individuals assign greater value to outcomes they have put significant effort into achieving, compared to the actual objective value of those outcomes. This phenomenon is rooted in cognitive dissonance theory, which posits that when people experience a discrepancy between their efforts and the outcomes, they often adjust their perceptions to resolve the discomfort caused by this dissonance.
A classic example of effort justification is Aronson and Mills's study, where women undergoing a humiliating initiation process rated a dull discussion group about sex more favorably than those who experienced a milder initiation. The severe embarrassment led them to convince themselves that the group must be worthwhile to justify their effort.
To overcome effort justification, individuals can consciously evaluate outcomes based on objective criteria rather than subjective experiences, allowing for a more balanced perspective on the value of the results obtained.