How To Motivate Yourself To Change Your Behavior

We all have aspects of our behavior that we'd like to transform, and a universal desire is to assist others in adopting positive changes in their behavior. This can be with your child, spouse, or colleague. I'd like to delve into some recent research that sheds light on a crucial aspect of behavior change. But before we dive into that, let's explore a common strategy that many of us often employ.

Imagine you're trying to resist the temptation of snacking. What do you tell yourself? Most of us engage in an internal monologue that sounds something like, "Be cautious; overeating will lead to weight gain." If it were your child, you might warn them about the dangers of smoking and emphasize the dire consequences they'll face. This approach revolves around instilling fear in ourselves and others in the hope that it will prompt behavior change.

This inclination towards warnings and threats is prevalent not only in our personal lives but also in health campaigns and policymaking. We assume that by threatening people or inducing fear, we can motivate them to act. It appears to be a reasonable assumption, but scientific evidence suggests that warnings have limited impact on behavior. For example, graphic images on cigarette packages don't necessarily deter smokers, and, in some cases, they can even make quitting smoking a lower priority for them.

I'm not asserting that warnings and threats are entirely ineffective, but on average, their impact seems to be limited. So, why is this the case? When we think about animals, fear often triggers the responses of freezing or fleeing, rather than fighting. Humans share this response. When something scares us, we tend to shut down and seek to eliminate the negative feelings associated with fear. This process can lead to rationalizations, such as convincing ourselves that we have exceptional genetics, like a grandparent who smoked and lived to a ripe old age. This kind of reasoning can bolster our belief in our invincibility, which is why warnings sometimes backfire.

At other times, we simply bury our heads in the sand, ignoring the impending threat. Consider the stock market, for instance. People tend to check their investment accounts when the market is doing well and avoid it when it's in decline. They do this to escape the negative emotions tied to financial losses, as long as they can reasonably avoid facing them. Unfortunately, this often means that they only react when it's almost too late.

To gain insights into the information that penetrates our minds, my lab conducted an experiment. We asked about 100 participants to estimate the likelihood of 80 different negative events happening to them in the future. After receiving their estimates, we presented them with the opinions of two experts. Expert A offered a more optimistic outlook, while Expert B took a bleaker stance. Surprisingly, people tended to adjust their beliefs to align with the more positive opinion, even if they initially held a different view.

This pattern was observed not only in college students but across different age groups, spanning from 10 to 80 years old. However, as people reached their 40s, the ability to adapt to negative news declined. This means that the most vulnerable populations, such as children, teenagers, and the elderly, are the least likely to accurately learn from warnings.

Regardless of age, people generally favor information that aligns with their preconceived notions. This leads to a somewhat distorted self-image, which we, as educators and mentors, often fail to recognize. Instead of trying to force a harsh mirror on individuals, we might be more successful if we acknowledge and work with the positive self-image they maintain. This means understanding how our brains function and cooperating with our natural tendencies.

For example, consider handwashing in a hospital setting. A simple intervention, involving an electronic board that displayed handwashing rates, significantly improved compliance. This approach was successful because it harnessed three key principles that drive human behavior:

1. Social Incentives: By showing people what others are doing, they are more likely to conform and change their behavior. Social influence is a potent motivator.

2. Immediate Rewards: We are more inclined to act when there is a tangible and immediate reward involved. Linking positive actions to immediate gratification, even if the long-term benefits are substantial, can facilitate behavior change.

3. Progress Monitoring: Focusing on the progress achieved rather than the decline can effectively grab people's attention. Our brains are better at processing positive information about the future.

So, instead of using fear and warnings about potential future harm, we can employ strategies that align with these principles. These strategies tap into our innate tendencies to seek social validation, respond to immediate rewards, and monitor our progress. This way, we bridge the temporal gap between our present actions and their future consequences.

In summary, while there is a place for communicating risks and utilizing a variety of approaches, relying on fear and threats as primary motivators for behavior change may not be as effective as we once believed. Encouraging positive strategies that leverage our natural inclinations can be a more successful way to promote change in both ourselves and others. The thrill of potential gain can be a more potent driver of action than the fear of loss. Thank you.