From speaking up to shutting down: The cognitive costs of non-instrumental voice

In hierarchical organizations, repeated experiences of unacknowledged voice can lead to acquiescent silence-a passive withdrawal rooted in perceived futility. While its emotional and attitudinal consequences are well documented, less is known about its cognitive costs. This study investigates whether repeated voice non-endorsement impairs executive functioning through mechanisms consistent with the informational learned helplessness framework. In a controlled laboratory experiment (N = 129), participants were exposed to either low, high, or no feedback regarding the impact of their suggestions in a simulated consultation task. Subsequently, they completed the Parametric Go/No-Go task, a validated measure of executive performance assessing sustained attention, inhibition, shifting, updating, and processing speed across three levels involving distinct types of executive demands. Participants in the low voice impact condition showed significantly reduced performance on key executive indices (particularly inhibitory control and efficiency) compared to the high-impact and control groups, exclusively at Level 2 of the task, where adaptive strategy use is required. These impairments were accompanied by lower self-reported motivation and perceived control during the cognitive task, despite no increase in perceived distraction or fatigue. Together, these findings suggest that repeated experiences of informational non-contingency can undermine the supervisory system that coordinates executive processes, leading to reduced cognitive regulation and engagement. By linking voice futility to cognitive demobilization, this study broadens the conceptualization of acquiescent silence from a motivational state to a cognitive risk factor, with implications for organizational functioning and psychological well-being.