Surprising Research Re: Motivation September 13, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Music & Dance, People.trackback
“Carrots” (monetary rewards and grades) only go so far in motivating us . . .
What human beings really crave is the opportunity to exercise Autonomy, develop Mastery, and feel a sense of Purpose!
The more we are treated like FWU’s (Fungible Work Units) on an endless conveyor belt from Birth to Death, the less motivated we become to create.
Could this be one of the reasons why our school system is failing?
Instead of continuing to rely on standardized testing designed to keep students thinking “inside the box,” perhaps we need to develop opportunities for them to think outside the box . . . or create a new box entirely.
Instead of asking children to compete for grades or shiny gold stars, maybe we should encourage them to collaborate with one another in areas of interest.
With more and greater opportunities for independent study and research, we could make learning FUNdamental.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Quote to Ponder: Nature does not ask, “what do they want me to be?” . . . it’s glory lies in its authenticity.
Related posts: Changing Education Paradigms * HATCH ~ Uniting Creative Minds * Lateral Thinking * Tending Our Gardens
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Spirit Lights The Way 
This is exactly what I have said for years. Our education systems are fine and good for the lower average student but all we are doing is teaching them to be just like the lower average adult. BUT children must be given the freedom and encouragement so that all who are able can raise ‘out-of-the-box’ questions and learn to seek their own answers. Great post Nancy!
I’d like to see the entire system revamped.
Kids 5-7 in classes together . . . learning to love learning. Older kids teaching younger kids how to SHARE and CARE.
Once they love to learn . . . teach them to read and write without cramming ridiculous classics like The Lord of the Flies down their throats.
Let them read what they want to read in the genre of their choice ~ fiction and non-fiction. Encourage them to devour books until the juice runs down their chins.
Teach them basic nutrition, budgeting, how to shop for food, and . . . HOW TO COOK it. Have gardens for them to grow their own food on the grounds ~ using Alice Waters model.
Let them take Art, Drama, Music, Woodworking . . . so they learn to appreciate their innate creativity.
How right you are Nancy. Now everything is so money orientated. Must do a job that pays well no matter whether you like or dislike it. No one wants a challenge any more – any old boring job will do as long as it pays well. I think you are on the right track re reading too. I loved ‘…until the juice runs down their chins.’ That’s exactly how it was for me!
Businesses have been led to believe that money is the best “carrot.” This research shows that that is NOT the case ~ except for mind numbing jobs.
If we want to motivate creativity, it requires “getting out of the way” and providing a playing field with opportunities for autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Very cool video!
Good post NR…and TV has made things so much worse…kids have very little imagination these days.
TV and Video Games and iPods and Cell Phones and . . .
Kids are used to being entertained . . . instead of using their innate creativity to entertain themselves.
When I was in elementary school, our school was chosen for a national pilot program in which we chose our subjects and took pretests to determine what level we started and had to take post tests to proceed to each new level. Each student worked independently with rewards being only self merits of accomplishments. I’m not sure how long many years they kept the program in place, and wish I had the stats to see how it worked. I know it went both ways. I was well prepared for middle school and was actually on high school level on all subjects. However, there were some students quite unprepared academically for middle school. Now of course, Phys ed and music were separate, and I think art was unfortunately done away completely. I really don’t know if I’d have been more or less prepared for middle school if I’d been in a structured classroom because I loved learning, traditional or nontraditional methods. (Reading and grammar consisted of something calaled Hoffman where we watched slides on archaic computer type machines. Also they did away with an auditorium and opened it up with tables and chairs and a carpeted place to sit and called it the “space”.)
I say we should recylce the cardboard box. Or maybe it’s time we destroyed it completely.
I expect that public schools would do better to model themselves after Montessori schools.
The problem is that they get less FEDERAL FUNDING if they don’t “tow the line” and focus on standardized education.
We need to speak to our representatives and get that feudalistic mentality changed. What worked in the past is no longer viable for today’s world.
Kids should not have to be anesthetized in order to attend school and learn to love learning.
I think some competition is good; it’s good to strive. But not for everyone. And exams don’t always reflect ability. Despite a great deal of hard work and thorough revision, I didn’t do well in my final degree exam and that stopped me getting a first. I still don’t know where I went wrong, and it hurts. Yet some people sail through exams.
Similarly, there are children who are paralysed by the thought of exams. Unfortunately, until funding reflects need, we’re stuck with the system we have.
This research (which is directed primarily at adult motivation) mirrors my own experiences ~ Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose matter more to me than monetary rewards and other “carrots.”
I have always thought that one should love what one does and that money shouldn’t enter into it because your loving work will be its own reward. However, we have to be practical too and that is where the $1000 question lies – how do we spread paypackets more equitably… whatever the job…
Once businesses (and schools) recognize this innate desire for Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose, maybe we’ll stop using money as the yardstick by which we measure our success in life?
I can’t tell you how many people thought I was making a mistake by leaving the practice of law ~ they viewed the size of my paycheck as the measure of my success.
Not me.
I measure success in life by how happy and fulfilled I feel. A paycheck, no matter how large, is not sufficient compensation for a job that detracts from my overall happiness in life by negating happiness in other areas.
At this point, money must still be factored into the career choice equation, especially when we’re just starting out and need the basics ~ food, clothing, and shelter.
But once we reach a basic level of subsistence, it doesn’t make sense to trade our limited time on this planet for money that we don’t really need to survive, unless doing so adds to our net happiness.
Maybe, someday, our basic needs will be met from a communal pool . . . and we can focus on Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose without becoming starving artists. 😀
Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose ~ YES! Those are the things that have motivated me. Money has never had the power to drive me to do better, be more creative or accomplish more. This is a great post. Thanks.
A wonderful book by Vicki Robbins ~ Your Money or Your Life!
Another ~ Do What You Love The Money Will Follow.
p.s. I shared on my facebook page. 🙂
I love these RSAnimate Videos. They are so well done and thought provoking. Thanks for sharing.
Glad we’re not just all puppets. It makes sense that great creative works can’t be done on demand. I enjoyed this, listened to it while I looked at food!
Many artists in the Renaissance had wealthy patrons who kept them fed, clothed, and sheltered ~ taking money “off the table” and allowing their creativity to blossom.
Hmm . . .
{{Looks around for a wealthy patron of the arts to support her.}}
Wait… did I hear something about gold stars?!
Because I’m a bit too easily distracted by shiny things, you know!
🙂
Shh . . . be quiet. They’re listening.
I’m not paranoid.
The Shifting Education Paradigm video makes it clear that the fictitious ADHD epidemic is all part of their Master Plan to standardize us and turn us into FWU’s.
If we let them know that we are easily distracted (by information overload), Big Brother (and his minions) will anesthetize us. We will be put on Ritalin until we fall asleep with the rest of the sheep!
You should check out the David Harvey RSAnimate.
I read somewhere that paying kids to learn works well for lousy students (although it doesn’t have much effect on kids who already do ok.) I also heard that monetary incentive helps people lose weight, but only so long as they are paid – after the money stops some people gain the weight back.
The one on capitalism? Yup, I’m getting there.
But I know if I do a post with links to 7 or 8 videos at once, very few people will take the time to pause and reflect on the information.
So . . . one at a time.
Slow and steady wins the (human) race.
The examples you give tie in well with this research ~ since losing weight doesn’t require much cognitive effort and the same is true in we want “lousy students” to make a modicum of effort. Thanks, Chad.
[…] made this post : https://nrhatch.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/surprising-research-re-motivation/ ) which then caused me to […]
The education system is in seriously bad shape . . . and children are paying the price.
Parents/society are far to focused on “status” and “money” and “power” and “prestige” . . . and children are paying the price.
It’s time to allow kids to be kids . . .
It’s time for parent to just be . . .
Thanks, Debra _/!\_
I love these animations. What insight and imagination!
This video talks about why people play musical instruments on the weekend ~ using limited time to gain mastery in a creative endeavor without being compensated for that time.
That of course reminded me of bloggers who share thoughts and insights “gratis” and keep at it for hours a week . . . because of the opportunity to exercise Autonomy, develop Mastery, and feel a sense of Purpose!
Standardized testing and standardized instruction: it holds the smart kids back. Ooops. Smart is unfair so I’ll change that to successful. Since I retired my teacher friends say a mandatory lesson plan is mandated for each day for each subject for the entire year. It does not allow time to paint a mural in the cafeteria or do any type of ” let’s invent something” project. The best motivator is not reward but any person thrives learning something that has intrinsic value for that person in a unique way .It cannot be bribed into motivation. In the 4th grade we could never ever learn enough about dinosaurs !
It’s just awful that teachers are so straight-jacketed . . . and in turn have to straight-jacket kids to spoonfeed them crap to regurgitate on the next standardized test.
I’d much prefer them to explore, dream, discover, create, invent, investigate, than engage in rote memorization of esoteric facts and dates that they’ll never remember anyway.
Such a waste of beautiful minds.
Spot on again, Nancy…what great films you do share…must share this with my colleagues.
Excellent! When we base decisions on outdated assumptions, we get less than optimal results.
At first, this video surprised me a bit . . . since we seem positively obsessed with $money$. Then I applied it to my own life and realized the research is spot on.
Once our basic needs are met, we really don’t want more money to buy stuff we don’t have time to use ~ it’s BORING.
What we want is to feel alive ~ Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose help us to do just that.
You’ve got to encourage children to step outside of the comfort zone and let them find their own limits. School is only a beginning – as parents we need to offer additional encouragement and learning for our children. Good post Nancy
The problem is that School is causing them to LOSE valuable skills . . . such as lateral and divergent thinking.
Kindergartners excel at Divergent Thinking (about 7 1/2 minutes into the education video) ~ 98% scored in the genius level.
The same 1500 kids were tested AFTER being in the school system . . . their scores in Divergent Thinking deteriorated over time, probably as a result of being educated to believe that there is “one right answer” and “no copying” and “no peeking.”
Instead of fostering our innate ability to think “outside the box” and think for ourselves, students’ heads are crammed with “right answers.” It’s detrimental to them . . . and to us.
Last year, my older son (then in 3rd grade) was playing “school” with my younger son. As the teacher, my older son had his brother filling out tons of fake worksheets, reviewing flashcards – ‘class’ time was very structured. He taught what he’s learned at school. It’s amazing my younger son even wanted to go to Kindergarten!
I agree that education needs to be revamped. Has anyone ever wondered why kids (boys especially) decide they “hate” school by sixth grade?
In the Super Powers of Time video (next post), the speaker talks about just that issue ~ one boy dropping out of school every 9 seconds or something.
He says it’s due in part to the rewiring of their brains by video games.
Morning NR…think I am losing the plot.
Am SURE I commented yesterday?
Happens to me all the time! Sometimes it’s the plot twisting and turning . . . sometimes it’s me!
Oh Good Grief…and NOW I do see it..sigh
Just think about how many “extra points” you got on the comment “scoreboard.” 😆
I can relate..granny, and with everyone…especially Nancy, as I seem to have lost the “plot” of our American education system shortly after being moved across town, to the “Middle” school for my 6th grade year. I remember it was like finally coming out of my elementary shell, and being thrown into a world that expected you to know what you were doing there….That sounds confusing I know, I probably couldn’t articulate how I felt that day if I wrote 10 books about it…Not even to me.
God Bless You
paul
Transitioning from one school to another can be challenging due to different actors, sets, roles, and elevated expectations.
Goodness me. Are you saying that we all have different skills, and that we all bring something different to the table? Don’t let the educators hear such scandal.
😉
Bwahahaha! Everyone should be taught to read and think and evaluate and consider and explore and dream and discovery.
And then? The sky’s the limit!
Yes, but then we would all be individuals – not just rolling off the line.
And heaven forbid – we might learn how to THINK”
LOL
Just think . . . no more sheep!
Baa . . .
Works for horses, doesn’t it? 😉
This research result should come as no surprise – external motivation cannot but have us seeking the next carrot. But, it makes the ‘animal’ a heckuva lot easier to control…
In my opinion we should do away with the boxes entirely, even before we send the children to school – why are we as a society afraid to have our kids find (or retain) their own (innate) sense of purpose?
External motivation is great for training pets (and young children) but then motivation is better when it springs from the heart . . . not the head.
I think a certain portion of the curriculum should be devoted to allowing the students to work on a project of their choice, either indvidually or in teams (not everyone is suited to team work) every year, but also education boards need to foster more creative ways of teaching/learning beyond the confines of the classroom – give students many more opportunities to get outdoors and apply what they’re learning and to think about it in different ways. There are many teachers who do this at every opportunity but, as Tilly says, funding is always the problem
Especially when the funders want to push for one-size-fits-all standardized education instead of treating kids as unique beings with infinite possibilities.
It is a shame that we’ve been saying this for years and the practice continues… Of course that recent article that came out about how some colleges that claim to be SAT blind have been quietly buying names of students with higher scores …makes you wonder when we will truly begin to encourage our children to think outside the box. Ugh! 🙂
Great post. I’m finally catching up on everyone’s blog. Thank you for your patience! 🙂
I just hate all the cheating and dishonesty in this country . . . used to “get ahead” of others and “compete.”
CHEATING is not competing
[…] Research on motivation has shown that what humans really crave is the opportunity to exercise Autonomy, develop Mastery, and feel a sense of Purpose. The more we are treated like FWU’s (Fungible Work Units) on an endless conveyor belt from Birth to Death, the less motivated we become to create. […]