What is Incentive Motivation?
We've all needed a little inspiration at some point in our lives, and that need has probably only grown in the last or two years.
Who among us has not tried to lose the extra weight we gained during the pandemic? And who hasn't felt the need to feign excitement to join another Zoom call? And who hasn't tried to create a feeling of getting back to work in the office from nine to five in the evening?
Boredom and disinterest are the hallmarks of our age. Therefore, the incentive motivation is the means that will enable us to regain our enthusiasm, motivation, and pursuit of the things that we have always said that we want more than anything else. In this article, we will talk about what the incentive motivation is and how it works.
What is Incentive Motivation?
Incentive motivation is a field of study in psychology that focuses on human motivation. What makes us go from being lazy to running a marathon? And what drives us to get or abandon the “Covid” vaccine? What influences our thinking or behavior in a certain way? Incentive motivation is concerned with the way in which goals influence behavior and, by all accounts, produces results if the motivation used is of critical importance to the person.
Roots of Incentive Motivation
Incentive motivation can be traced back to when we were children. It is almost certain that many of us have similar memories of our parents telling us to eat our whole meal to “grow big and strong”.
If we took it, we would be rewarded with a weekend trip to a festival, park, or playground of our choosing. The reward of that outing was something we wanted enough to have an effect on our behaviour.
In growing phase, incentive motivation continues to play a major role in what we choose to do. For example, even though we probably didn't enjoy the idea of spending our lives studying, getting good grades, pursuing advanced degrees and graduating, and having debt great for student loans, most of us have decided to do just that, why? Because the ultimate goal of having a career and a coveted title, the incentives associated with financial reward, and the joy that comes with doing something we love are all powerful motivators.
Dr. Holly Wyatt is a believer in the power of motivation, a weight management expert, co-author of the book State of Slim, and co-founder of The Ultimate Weight Loss Program and of the same name as the book. Her work with her clients has proven that incentives reignite our enthusiasm when it is cooled.
Examples of incentive Motivation
In the incentive motivation Method, specifically that of extrinsic motivation, Dr. Wyatt challenges her clients to commit to one behavioral change that will help them reach their weight-loss goals.
They should then agree to be given a “carrot” or “stick,” either as a reward for doing what they said they would do, or as a punishment for failing.
So. we can liken these motivations to these two choices: either enjoying a day at the spa if they did the thing they said they were going to do, or running up and down the stairs of their apartment building a certain number of times until they broke into a sweat as a punishment for their non-compliance.
The goal should be something they want, regardless of what they choose, and the reward should be important enough to them to influence the behaviors that will lead them to reach those goals. A carrot may motivate some people because it represents some kind of meaningful reward, while a stick may motivate others. They view it as a kind of negative outcome or as a privilege grab.
Another example of an incentive bonus is what companies and government agencies are doing that are currently offering benefits to people who get the Covid vaccine. Offers are offered in the form of sweepstakes tickets nationwide, others in the form of cash prizes, seats at parties, free entry to events, food discounts and even free drinks at local restaurants and cafes.
The list of incentives offered to the public to increase vaccination rates is very extensive and completely innovative. These incentives and rewards are financial, social, and even moral, but does this particular incentive reward work?
Remember that the key to measuring whether an incentivde motivation is working or not is how important the reward is to the ultimate goal that one wants to reach. So, not all rewards will motivate people in the same way. According to Professor Emeritus Stephen L. Franzoi, "The value of the incentive can change over time and in different situations."
How is incentive motivation different from other types of motivations?
Incentive motivation is just one type of motivating force that relies on external factors, and while rewards are powerful tools for influencing behavior, there are some other options that may be more in line with who you are and what drives you toward achieving your goals.
Fear motive
A person's motivation is fear-driven, as opposed to being motivated by incentives. Instead of seeking some rewards, it is the avoidance of some painful consequences or punishment that pushes the person to take action.
For example, the fear of being poor kept many people in jobs they hated, and it did for so long that now we see the headlines highlighting the number of workers who quit and refuse to go back to the way things were.
social motive
The desire to belong is a strong motivator since human beings are social creatures, and this type of social motive motivates an individual's behavior in ways that they hope will lead to approval by a particular group or other individuals.
The advent of the Internet and the spread of interaction with social media had positive and negative effects, represented in its ability to motivate us to be included in what was called during school days “the cool kids”, or to be in the “group” such as athletes, high achievers, artists, and so on.
It is likely that we have all experienced from time to time the feelings associated with not being chosen, whether it's a team playing a game or a nomination for the winner of a competitive job. Social disapproval can make or break us.
Before you get up and go
Know that it's okay. In fact, it is normal to feel a lack of motivation, especially during these difficult times, and also know that external motivators, like the ones we talked about in this article, can be great tools to help you regain your sparkle.
We've touched on a few here, but there are plenty of other motivators, both external and internal. Remember, these are external motivators, like incentive motivations. They are just as important as an individual attaches to a reward, and it is also important to note that if there is no adequate intrinsic motivation, the results are likely to be short-lived.
For example, your desire to wear a suit to a public event may result in you aiming to lose a certain amount of weight and eventually wearing it, but will you stick to your diet after your party? Or will you go back to your weight before the party?
If you wanted to be rewarded in your business after you topped the sales charts and worked hard to increase sales for that announced trip to the islands, would the same incentive motivate you over and over again? Or will you need more to stay motivated?
Viktor Frankl, 20th-century psychiatrist and bestselling author of Man's Search for Meaning, is quoted as saying, "Those who have a reason to live can endure almost anything." With the importance of external motivations, like incentives in influencing behaviour, the key is always to align them with the individual's internal cause or drive. Only then will the results be long-term.