A quasi experiment ( N = 100 university students) tested whether individual differences in action‐state orientation moderate task difficulty effects on resource mobilization assessed as cardiovascular response. According to action control theory, action‐oriented individuals have higher self‐regulation capacities in demanding situations than state‐oriented persons. Action‐orientated individuals should also self‐generate positive affect in face of obstacles. Therefore, drawing on Wright's (1998) ability extension of motivational intensity theory and research on affective influences on effort‐related cardiovascular response, we expected that action‐orientation should lead to stronger effort‐related cardiovascular responses in a difficult task, while state‐orientation should do so in an easy task. Reactivity of cardiac pre‐ejection period (PEP) during performance on a short‐term memory task corroborated this hypothesis. The present findings provide the first evidence of a link between action‐state orientation and effort‐related responses in the cardiovascular system.