"Achieving Personal Growth Through Effective Behavior Change"

We all have behaviors we'd like to change in ourselves, and we also want to help others, like our kids, spouses, or colleagues, make positive changes. I want to share some new research that sheds light on what motivates behavior change, but first, let's look at a common strategy many of us use. For instance, if you're trying to stop snacking, you might tell yourself, "Beware, you'll get fat." Similarly, if your kid is smoking, you'd likely warn them about the dangers of smoking and its consequences.

This approach relies on fear and threats, which are common in health campaigns and policies because we believe that scaring people into action works. However, research shows that warnings have a limited impact on behavior. For example, graphic images on cigarette packets don't deter smoking; they can even make quitting seem less urgent.

So, why are we resistant to warnings? Think about animals: when they're scared, they freeze or flee rather than fight. Humans react similarly by shutting down or rationalizing away the fear. For instance, you might tell yourself, "My grandpa smoked and lived to 90, so I have good genes." This can make you feel more resilient, leading to a boomerang effect where warnings become less effective.

People also avoid bad news. For example, when the stock market is high, people check their accounts frequently. When it's low, they avoid looking at their accounts to escape negative feelings. This avoidance can persist until a crisis hits, like the 2008 financial collapse, when it's too late to take effective action.

In my lab, we explored what kind of information people absorb. We asked about 100 people to estimate the likelihood of various negative events happening to them. When given differing expert opinions, people tended to align their beliefs with the more positive outlook. This tendency to embrace positive information over negative information persists across all age groups, though the ability to learn from bad news improves with age until midlife and then declines.

Our mistake as educators, mentors, or employers is focusing on the negative, which people distort to maintain a positive self-image. Instead, we should work with their positive perception. For example, in a U.S. hospital, installing an electronic board that showed medical staff their handwashing rates increased compliance dramatically. This worked because it used social incentives, immediate rewards, and progress monitoring.

Social incentives show us what others are doing, making us want to match or exceed their efforts. Immediate rewards provide satisfaction now, bridging the gap to future benefits. Progress monitoring focuses attention on improvement rather than decline.

For instance, to encourage a kid to quit smoking, you might say, "If you stop smoking, you'll get better at sports," highlighting progress. An electricity bill using social incentives, rewards, and progress tracking showed my usage compared to my neighbors and gave me a smiley face for good performance, motivating me to improve further.

Giving people a sense of control is also crucial, as the brain seeks to control its environment. While communicating risks is still necessary, and no single solution fits all, using positive strategies to motivate change is often more effective than threats. Encouraging progress rather than fearing loss can drive action and behavior change.