At some point in our lives, we've all needed some motivation. That requirement has most certainly increased in the last year or two. Who hasn't been trying to lose the weight they gained during the pandemic? Who hasn't been compelled to pretend to be excited about joining yet another Zoom call? Who hasn't tried to be excited about going back to work for another 9 to 5 (or longer if you include in the commute)? It's a sign of the times when you're feeling "meh." Incentive motivation is a technique to rekindle our passion, ambition, and commitment to the things we say we want most. I'll explain what incentive motivation is and how it works in this article.
Incentive motivation is a branch of psychology that deals with human motivation. What motivates us to move from couch potato to marathon runner? What motivates us to acquire the Covid vaccine—or not? What is it that causes us to think or act the way we do? The influence of objectives on conduct is the subject of incentive motivation. By all accounts, it works if the reward is meaningful to the individual.
The origins of incentive motivation can be traced all the way back to our childhood. I'm sure many of us recall being instructed to "eat all our vegetables" so that we might "grow up to be big and strong," and that if we did, we'd be rewarded with a weekend vacation to our favourite carnival, amusement park, or playground. That outing's incentive was something we wanted badly enough to have an impact on our actions.
As we grow older, incentive motivation continues to play a significant part in our decision-making. While we may not have like the prospect of spending years studying, achieving good grades, pursuing advanced degrees, and graduating with significant student loan debt, a large number of us chose to do so. Why? Because the end objective of a profession, a wanted title, and the financial rewards and joy of doing something we enjoy were tremendous motivators.
Dr. Holly Wyatt, a weight management expert, co-author of the book State of Slim, and co-founder of the transformative weight loss programme of the same name, is one researcher who believes in the efficacy of reward motivation. Her experience with customers has repeatedly demonstrated that when motivation wanes, incentives can rekindle the flames.
Dr. Wyatt urges her clients to commit to modifying only one habit that will help them attain their weight reduction objectives in terms of incentive motivation, which is particular to external motivators. Clients must then agree to either a "carrot" or a "stick" as a reward for doing what they say they would do or as a punishment for not doing so. For example, if they do the item they said they would do, they might get a spa day or be punished by jogging up and down the stairs of their apartment building a specific number of times.
Whatever people pick, the goal must be something they truly desire, and the incentive must be meaningful enough to influence their behaviour toward those objectives. Some people are driven by a meaningful reward (a carrot), whereas others are motivated by a bad consequence or the loss of a privilege (the stick).
Companies and government institutions are already offering incentives to those who acquire the Covid vaccine, which is an example of incentive motivation in action. Lottery tickets, cash prizes, concert tickets, free entrance to events, food discounts, and even free drinks at local restaurants and bars are being offered across the country. The public is being provided a long number of incentives to raise vaccination rates, many of which are rather inventive. These incentives are based on monetary, societal, and even moral considerations. Is this particular incentive motive, however, effective?
It's important to remember that one of the keys of incentive motivation working is whether the individual prioritises the reward over the final aim. As a result, not all rewards inspire people in the same way. "The value of an incentive might alter over time and under different settings," says Stephen L. Franzoi.
Incentive motivation is one example of a motivational force that is based on outside circumstances. While rewards are effective in changing behaviour, there are a few other possibilities that may be more in line with who you are and what motivates you to achieve your objectives.
Being motivated by fear is, in many ways, the polar opposite of being motivated by rewards. Rather than seeking a reward, the avoidance of a negative outcome or unpleasant punishment motivates people to behave. Married couples, for example, may "forsake all others" out of fear of being "taken to the cleaners" by their husbands if their infidelities are uncovered, rather than out of love or commitment.
Another example of dread acting as a powerful motivator is the fear of poverty, which we're hearing about more and more as we emerge from the pandemic. Many people have stayed in jobs they despise because they are afraid of becoming poor. It's only now that we're seeing a turnaround, as headlines reveal how many workers are departing and refusing to return to the status quo.
Humans are sociable creatures by nature. A strong motivation is the desire to fit in. This sort of social motivation motivates people to act in ways that will hopefully lead to them being accepted by a group or other people.
The development of the Internet and the growth of social media involvement has had both beneficial and negative effects on our desire to be part of what we used to refer to as "the cool kids" or "cliques" in school (jocks, nerds, artsy, gamers, etc.). We've undoubtedly all felt the feelings of "not being picked" at some point in our lives, whether it was for a team to play a game or as the winning applicant for a job or competition. We can be made or broken by social rejection.
Know that it's "natural" and even "acceptable" to feel unmotivated, especially during these trying times. Know that external motivators, such as the ones we've discussed in this article, can help you rekindle your passion. We've barely scratched the surface of a few. There are a slew of others, both internal and external.
Remember that external motivators, such as incentive motives, are only as effective as the individual's value placed on the reward. It's also worth noting that if internal motivation isn't aligned, the effects will most likely be short-lived.
For example, decreasing a certain amount of weight to fit into an outfit you plan to wear for a public occasion might get you there. Will it, however, hold up after your party? Will those pounds find their way back to you, or will they find their way back to you? Will you be driven again and again for that same incentive if you want to be rewarded at work with that trip to the islands because you've topped the sales charts and hustled to achieve your numbers? Will you have to work harder and harder to stay motivated?
"Those who have a 'why' to live, can cope with nearly any 'how,'" remarked Viktor Frankl, a 20th-century psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor, and author of the best-selling book Man's Search for Meaning. External motivators, such as incentives, are crucial in influencing behaviour, but the key is to connect them with one's internal "why"—only then will the results last.
So, how might incentive motivation affect you and your goal-setting behaviour? Knowing the answer can help you stay energised no matter where you are on your journey and help you achieve more achievement.
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