Motivation can modulate cognitive control in at least two ways. First, being rewarded for performance on a given task can make people work harder and ultimately perform better than when not rewarded 17. Second, the capacity to exert control can be challenged when required to suppress thoughts and actions toward appetitive cues 20. Recent studies of adolescent development have begun to compare cognitive control capacity in relatively neutral versus motivational contexts. These studies suggest a change in sensitivity to environmental cues, especially reward-based ones at different points in development, and suggest a unique influence of motivation on cognition during the adolescent years.
