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Table 1 Disutility judgments. Task items and descriptive statistics (mean, SD, 25%ile, median, 75%ile)

From: Subjective (dis)utility of effort: mentally and physically demanding tasks

Item #

Item

Mean

SD

25th

Median

75th

  

%ile

 

%ile

36.

Cleaning bathrooms

21.70

13.20

14.75

20.00

30.00

31.

Tutoring for SAT preparation

19.68

12.53

10.00

18.00

25.00

80.

Help people complete IRS tax forms

19.08

11.55

13.00

15.00

21.00

2.

Complete SAT-type essays

18.53

11.74

12.25

15.00

20.00

109.

Vacuuming and dusting or mopping floors

17.51

13.89

10.00

14.00

20.00

97.

Change flat tires on cars

17.18

12.61

10.00

15.00

20.00

108.

Waiting in an airport for a delayed flight

17.05

12.92

10.00

15.00

20.00

89.

Watching security cameras for a public park

16.89

10.99

10.00

15.00

20.00

12.

Evaluating different dorm/apartment rental insurance policies

16.87

10.70

12.00

15.00

20.00

65.

Determining the best allocation of investments for a retirement account (e.g., 401k)

16.53

14.13

10.00

15.00

20.00

46.

Helping people choose the best credit card to match their financial situation and expected expenses.

16.17

8.44

10.00

15.00

20.00

106.

Picking up trash along a park walking path

15.75

15.40

8.00

12.00

15.50

60.

Trim hedges/bushes

15.59

9.46

10.00

14.00

20.00

115.

Being a crossing guard at a school

15.29

10.37

10.00

15.00

20.00

58.

Entering data into Excel spreadsheets

15.26

11.01

9.50

12.00

20.00

113.

Canning vegetables

15.00

10.36

10.00

13.00

15.50

29.

Proofreading company documents for style, grammar, and spelling

14.97

8.99

10.00

15.00

20.00

17.

Washing cars

14.88

9.54

10.00

12.00

17.00

9.

Weeding a garden

14.80

10.02

10.00

15.00

20.00

32.

Filing patient charts/files in a doctor’s office

14.72

8.53

9.50

12.00

15.50

74.

Serving on a jury for a product liability lawsuit

14.41

12.96

9.50

15.00

18.00

8.

Painting an apartment living room

14.28

9.88

10.00

12.00

20.00

52.

Read textbook on European history

14.22

11.28

8.00

14.00

20.00

7.

Helping build a storage shed

14.20

8.48

10.00

13.00

20.00

114.

Presenting a request to a local planning commission

14.11

9.43

10.00

12.00

20.00

37.

Installing, setting up a new Wi-Fi router, and connecting various Internet-enabled devices (lights, thermostat, TV, etc.)

14.04

9.02

10.00

15.00

18.50

38.

Assisting in a bird census (observing, classifying, and counting birds in a nature sanctuary)

13.81

11.15

9.50

11.00

20.00

124.

Supervising children in a park

13.68

9.13

10.00

12.00

15.00

19.

Driving a car for 200 miles on an interstate highway

13.63

11.89

9.00

12.00

18.00

15.

Making a scrapbook for somebody you don’t know

13.54

7.70

10.00

13.00

16.00

26.

Serving on a jury for a trial where the defendant is accused of assault

13.36

12.78

6.75

10.00

19.25

51.

Making seating charts for a wedding

13.14

6.45

9.00

12.00

16.00

61.

Creating a monthly budget based on expenses over the past year

13.11

9.76

9.00

10.00

15.00

98.

Scanning print documents into the computer

13.03

9.32

8.50

10.00

15.00

121.

Leading a classroom discussion on assigned readings

12.80

7.09

8.00

11.00

19.00

43.

Re-finishing an old coffee table

12.69

7.86

9.00

10.00

15.00

5.

Obedience training a dog

12.63

10.65

8.00

10.00

15.00

99.

Write a short story

12.61

12.90

5.00

11.00

20.00

16.

Assisting in an archeological “dig”

12.57

13.97

7.25

14.00

20.00

44.

Designing and constructing a birdhouse

12.49

8.75

9.00

12.00

15.00

53.

Assembling layouts for a print newsletter (photos, text, advertising)

12.45

7.33

8.00

10.00

15.00

35.

Stuffing envelopes for a mass mailing

12.42

6.78

9.00

10.00

15.00

105.

Being a referee at an amateur tennis competition

12.33

9.86

8.00

10.00

15.00

27.

Rake leaves

12.18

7.58

8.00

10.00

15.00

70.

Writing poetry

12.15

12.87

5.00

12.00

19.00

93.

Listing items online for sale

12.15

8.27

8.00

10.00

15.00

96.

Organizing computer files for backup

12.11

8.03

8.00

10.00

15.00

95.

Planning the needed supplies and materials for a “poker night” for 100 people

11.98

8.08

8.00

10.00

15.00

50.

Do laundry

11.85

10.02

8.00

10.00

14.00

125.

Assembling IKEA-type furniture

11.85

11.63

8.00

10.50

15.00

3.

Addressing invitations for a wedding

11.80

5.35

8.00

10.00

15.00

49.

Entering phone/e-mail contact information into new smartphones

11.80

7.60

8.00

10.00

15.00

64.

Presenting a book report to a book club

11.79

10.04

6.50

10.00

15.00

116.

Using Photoshop to “restore” old photos

11.79

10.81

7.50

10.00

18.00

42.

Filing books in a public library

11.55

8.22

8.00

10.00

15.00

24.

Preparing/revising a résumé

11.49

8.24

8.00

10.00

15.00

112.

Organizing photos and text for a website

11.35

7.05

8.00

10.00

15.00

11.

Helping people move items in or out of a dorm room

11.31

8.25

8.00

10.00

15.00

45.

Researching cellphone plans and prices

11.17

6.51

8.00

10.00

14.50

73.

Making the schedule of games for an amateur sports tournament

11.07

6.41

8.00

10.00

15.00

118.

Sorting clothes for a rummage sale

11.00

8.12

7.00

10.00

15.00

33.

Researching prices and options for purchase of a computer printer

10.81

8.05

7.00

10.00

13.00

76.

Creating PowerPoint slides for a presentation

10.79

7.16

7.50

10.00

15.00

79.

Programming a robot for a 4th grade class demonstration

10.55

12.80

4.00

10.00

15.00

77.

Using online resources for researching event venues for a celebration

10.55

6.41

7.50

10.00

15.00

120.

Editing a video and adding audio tracks for a YouTube video

10.45

11.31

5.00

10.00

15.00

28.

Assembling a custom desktop computer according to printed and video instructions

10.22

13.15

3.25

10.00

15.75

86.

Writing thank you notes

10.13

7.73

5.00

10.00

15.00

54.

Hang posters and pictures on walls

9.98

6.65

7.00

10.00

12.00

85.

Grading 4th grade math problem sheets (e.g., addition/subtraction problems)

9.96

6.37

8.00

10.00

12.00

91.

Riding as a passenger for 200 miles on an interstate highway

9.92

12.24

3.25

9.00

14.75

23.

Planning a course for a 10K charity walk

9.88

7.75

7.00

10.00

15.00

84.

Sketching still life scenes

9.61

11.93

1.50

9.00

15.00

78.

Reading poetry

9.54

11.70

4.50

10.00

14.50

34.

Dog walking

9.48

6.44

7.00

9.50

14.50

41.

Planning a dinner party for 8 people (menu, grocery list, etc.)

9.44

7.98

5.50

10.00

12.00

123.

Planning a vacation (i.e., comparing prices and routes for airline travel and hotels)

9.37

10.20

5.00

10.00

15.00

1.

Completing a paint-by-numbers project

9.01

10.08

5.00

10.00

12.00

57.

Bird watching

8.84

10.03

.00

10.00

15.00

14.

Installing applications on a smartwatch

8.61

9.06

2.50

8.00

10.00

104.

Reading a biography about Franklin D. Roosevelt

8.40

10.76

.00

7.00

13.50

107.

Watch a documentary on the history of Afghanistan

8.32

10.58

.00

10.00

12.00

63.

Attending a lecture on art appreciation

7.93

11.22

.00

8.00

15.00

122.

Attending a political debate (e.g., for the governor’s office or for a senator)

7.70

14.25

.00

8.00

15.00

6.

Reading Time/Newsweek/US News & World Report magazines

7.64

8.62

.00

9.00

11.50

102.

Assembling a desk clock kit from printed instructions with small tools and a soldering iron

7.46

9.48

.00

9.00

12.00

Minimum Wage Boundary

59.

Watching TED Talks on high energy physics

7.00

13.83

−.50

7.00

11.00

55.

Attending a lecture on film history

6.96

10.24

.00

8.00

12.00

40.

Watch a documentary on the fashion industry

6.79

9.44

.00

8.00

10.00

92.

Watch a documentary on detecting art fraud

6.45

11.50

−2.00

7.00

11.50

56.

Judging an audition for a talent show

6.29

10.60

.00

6.00

10.00

72.

Solving Rubik’s Cubes

6.15

10.54

.00

8.00

12.50

18.

Read The New York Times

6.00

8.21

.00

7.00

10.00

111.

Watch a documentary on the Flint, Michigan water crisis

5.85

10.17

.00

5.00

10.00

13.

Creating a playlist of songs for a party/event

5.62

8.25

.00

5.00

10.00

100.

Playing chess

5.29

11.16

−1.50

5.00

10.00

47.

Assembling a complex jigsaw picture puzzle

5.25

8.70

.00

5.00

10.00

69.

Completing crossword puzzles

5.07

7.06

.00

5.00

10.00

66.

Playing bridge

4.96

7.97

.00

5.00

10.00

30.

Completing Sudoku puzzles

4.74

8.69

.00

5.00

10.00

22.

Watch a documentary on the Large Hadron Collider

4.58

7.31

.00

5.00

10.00

110.

Read Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time

4.49

9.95

−.50

5.00

10.00

20.

Playing Solitaire on the computer

4.41

8.91

−1.00

5.00

8.00

10.

Playing Scrabble

4.07

8.55

−1.00

5.00

8.00

4.

Play Bingo

3.77

7.25

−1.50

5.00

9.50

48.

Searching for ancestry information (e.g., looking up your distant relatives on Ancestry.com)

3.65

10.45

−5.00

2.50

10.00

75.

Attending the opera

3.50

16.52

− 5.50

5.00

13.00

87.

Attending a workshop on financial literacy (for example, credit cards, mortgages, life insurance, retirement)

3.22

14.45

−6.00

.00

10.00

81.

Playing Trivial Pursuit

2.93

7.71

.00

1.00

8.00

88.

Learning how to juggle

2.79

10.45

−4.50

.00

8.00

68.

Playing a Tetris-type game

2.76

6.57

−1.00

.00

8.00

103.

Attending a health and wellness workshop for planning a personal exercise program

2.59

10.54

− 4.50

.00

10.00

39.

Playing Jeopardy! with other college students

2.50

9.09

−4.00

.00

9.50

94.

Learning how to control a flying drone

2.37

10.98

−5.50

2.00

3.00

119.

Playing strategy games such as Risk or Settlers of Catan

2.28

8.41

−2.00

.00

8.00

101.

Read mystery novel

2.27

10.17

− 2.50

.00

8.00

71.

Watching TED Talks on bioengineering (e.g., new portable diagnostic devices, tissue engineered organs)

2.03

9.57

−4.00

.00

10.00

67.

Attending a lecture on artificial intelligence

1.96

10.43

−9.00

.00

5.00

117.

Watching TED Talks on motivation and learning

1.96

8.32

−3.00

.00

10.00

21.

Watching TED Talks on human relationships

1.80

7.18

− 3.00

.00

8.00

83.

Visiting an art museum

.26

10.65

−7.50

.00

8.00

62.

Attending a play by Shakespeare

.24

11.93

−8.50

.00

9.00

90.

Attending a classical music concert

.20

15.33

−10.00

.00

10.00

82.

Playing pool (billiards)

.16

6.90

−5.00

.00

5.00

25.

Watching TED Talks on new technology advances

.06

7.46

−5.00

.00

6.50