Description

Book Synopsis
What motivates us as students, employees, and individuals?

If you reward your children for doing their homework, they will usually respond by getting it done. But is this the most effective method of motivation? No, says psychologist Edward L. Deci, who challenges traditional thinking and shows that this method actually works against performance. The best way to motivate people—at school, at work, or at home—is to support their sense of autonomy. Explaining the reasons why a task is important and then allowing as much personal freedom as possible in carrying out the task will stimulate interest and commitment, and is a much more effective approach than the standard system of reward and punishment. We are all inherently interested in the world, argues Deci, so why not nurture that interest in each other? Instead of asking, How can I motivate people? we should be asking, How can I create the conditions within which people will motivate themselves?

An insightful and provocative meditation on how people can become more genuinely engaged and succesful in pursuing their goals. —Publisher's Weekly

Why do We do what We do Understanding Self

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    A Paperback / softback by Edward L. Deci, Richard Flaste

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      Book details

      Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc
      Published 1 August 1996
      ISBN-13 9780140255263
      978-0140255263
      ISBN-10 0140255265
      Also in:
      Assertiveness and motivation

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      What motivates us as students, employees, and individuals?

      If you reward your children for doing their homework, they will usually respond by getting it done. But is this the most effective method of motivation? No, says psychologist Edward L. Deci, who challenges traditional thinking and shows that this method actually works against performance. The best way to motivate people—at school, at work, or at home—is to support their sense of autonomy. Explaining the reasons why a task is important and then allowing as much personal freedom as possible in carrying out the task will stimulate interest and commitment, and is a much more effective approach than the standard system of reward and punishment. We are all inherently interested in the world, argues Deci, so why not nurture that interest in each other? Instead of asking, How can I motivate people? we should be asking, How can I create the conditions within which people will motivate themselves?

      An insightful and provocative meditation on how people can become more genuinely engaged and succesful in pursuing their goals. —Publisher's Weekly

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