Do you know what motivates you? Or are you still looking for what motivates you to achieve your goals? Here are some interesting things about psychology that researchers found behind the study of human motivation. Some may surprise you, and some may give you ideas to motivate yourself and others.

1. American students are often motivated by independent work Americans are often inspired by messages that emphasize independence rather than cooperation. According to a study by psychologists at Stanford University, American students are less interested in those jobs that require teamwork to succeed, and it is easier to stimulate their interest by emphasizing independent work in class.

2. Incentives are not always the best way Many motivation models focus on the "carrot stick" approach, emphasizing that the use of incentives can effectively stimulate motivation. Research shows that although in some cases, rewards are important and effective. But other factors such as desire for success and efficiency are sometimes more important.

3. In fact, rewards sometimes reduce motivation When rewards are paid and enjoyable, they may backfire and reduce motivation. The study found that when people know that they will get some external rewards, their internal motivation has been stimulated. When they really need to participate in the work, they will lack interest. Psychologists call this phenomenon the over rationalization effect.

4. Stimulating internal motivation is the best way Designing activities that can stimulate intrinsic motivation can make the whole learning process simple and effective. The research points out that there are some important factors that can be used to stimulate intrinsic motivation. For example, ensure that the activities are challenging and not impossible to achieve; Make sure the activity is eye-catching and fun; Make people have enough control over how to achieve the goal; Recognize and reward efforts; It also encourages people to compare their efforts with others.

5. Praising effort over ability inspires ability Praising ability rather than effort reduces motivation. When a child solves a math problem, praising the child for "you are so smart" may make him choose to give up when he encounters problems in the future. Why? Psychologists point out that emphasizing internal characteristics (intelligence, appearance, etc.) will make people hold a complex view of their personality characteristics. And praising your efforts will help to further solve the problem (you really worked hard! I know you spent a lot of effort and finally solved it!) Will help children realize that effort can be shaped. Not only realize that they are smart or stupid, but believe in hard work and hard work.

6. Relying solely on willpower is a mistake. Researchers have found that willpower can only go that far. Faced with particularly difficult tasks, your willpower will soon run out. In one experiment, in the first stage, volunteers tried to use their willpower to play an unpleasant role, and were then asked not to laugh when watching a humorous film. Both tasks require willpower. Researchers found that participants who exhausted their willpower in the first task could hardly stop laughing when facing the second task. So, what is the method? Researchers point out that when willpower is exhausted, it becomes important to explore internal motivation. Find the source of internal motivation, and people will be full of motivation again.

Do you know what motivates you? Or are you still looking for what motivates you to achieve your goals? Here are some interesting things about psychology that researchers found behind the study of human motivation. Some may surprise you, and some may give you ideas to motivate yourself and others.

1. American students are often motivated by independent work Americans are often inspired by messages that emphasize independence rather than cooperation. According to a study by psychologists at Stanford University, American students are less interested in those jobs that require teamwork to succeed, and it is easier to stimulate their interest by emphasizing independent work in class.

2. Incentives are not always the best way Many motivation models focus on the "carrot stick" approach, emphasizing that the use of incentives can effectively stimulate motivation. Research shows that although in some cases, rewards are important and effective. But other factors such as desire for success and efficiency are sometimes more important.

3. In fact, rewards sometimes reduce motivation When rewards are paid and enjoyable, they may backfire and reduce motivation. The study found that when people know that they will get some external rewards, their internal motivation has been stimulated. When they really need to participate in the work, they will lack interest. Psychologists call this phenomenon the over rationalization effect.

4. Stimulating internal motivation is the best way Designing activities that can stimulate intrinsic motivation can make the whole learning process simple and effective. The research points out that there are some important factors that can be used to stimulate intrinsic motivation. For example, ensure that the activities are challenging and not impossible to achieve; Make sure the activity is eye-catching and fun; Make people have enough control over how to achieve the goal; Recognize and reward efforts; It also encourages people to compare their efforts with others.

5. Praising effort over ability inspires ability Praising ability rather than effort reduces motivation. When a child solves a math problem, praising the child for "you are so smart" may make him choose to give up when he encounters problems in the future. Why? Psychologists point out that emphasizing internal characteristics (intelligence, appearance, etc.) will make people hold a complex view of their personality characteristics. And praising your efforts will help to further solve the problem (you really worked hard! I know you spent a lot of effort and finally solved it!) Will help children realize that effort can be shaped. Not only realize that they are smart or stupid, but believe in hard work and hard work.

6. Relying solely on willpower is a mistake. Researchers have found that willpower can only go that far. Faced with particularly difficult tasks, your willpower will soon run out. In one experiment, in the first stage, volunteers tried to use their willpower to play an unpleasant role, and were then asked not to laugh when watching a humorous film. Both tasks require willpower. Researchers found that participants who exhausted their willpower in the first task could hardly stop laughing when facing the second task. So, what is the method? Researchers point out that when willpower is exhausted, it becomes important to explore internal motivation. Find the source of internal motivation, and people will be full of motivation again.