Do you feel stuck? Have you hit a plateau? Has your motivation gone on vacation? Does every time you look at your to-do list it seems like an impossible mission? You’re not alone. We’ve all experienced periods of demotivation in life.
The good news is that Psychology has a card up its sleeve that will help you find the motivation and move forward, so that you can take steps that will bring you closer to those goals that you set for yourself with such enthusiasm at some point: Skinner’s law.
What does Skinner’s Law state?
Frederic Skinner postulated that the consequences of our behavior ultimately shape our decisions, determining the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated or extinguished in the future. If a behavior is followed by a pleasant consequence, we are more likely to repeat it in the future, but if we experience an unpleasant consequence, we learn the lesson and are less likely to repeat it.
George Mack used these behavioral studies to postulate Skinner’s law, according to which, when we procrastinate or find it difficult to complete a task, we have two options:
- Make the pain of not doing it greater than the pain of avoiding it.
- Make the pleasure of doing it greater than the pleasure of avoiding it.
The main argument behind this concept is that human beings have two great compasses: we seek pleasure and avoid pain, an idea that was also shared by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, who wrote at the end of the 18th century that “nature has placed mankind under the government of two sovereign masters: pain and pleasure. They alone can tell us what we ought to do, as well as determine what we shall do.”
Skinner’s Law in action
Being aware that, as a general rule, we avoid things that harm or bother us and prefer things that give us pleasure or that we like, will help us stay motivated when we set ambitious long-term goals that require a great deal of willpower and sacrifice.
In 2010, a group of psychologists at Yale University recruited 2,000 smokers who wanted to quit. To help them, they offered them a savings account into which they deposited funds for six months, after which they underwent a urine test to detect nicotine and cotinine levels.
However, some were told that if they passed the test, they would get their money back; if not, it would be given to a charity. The prospect of losing the money (punishment) increased the odds of quitting smoking by up to 6%, both in the short and long term.
The trick, then, is to set rewards that we find appealing or, alternatively, to design “punishments” for doing (or not doing) a certain task. We have the option of building a reward system that really motivates us to continue or making sure that the cost of not doing what we should is too high to deter us.
How to create your own reward and punishment map?
As a general rule, it has been shown that we fear loss more than gain. In other words, loss aversion drives our behaviour much more than the expectation of a reward. It is therefore a matter of deciding which is the most powerful driving force to maintain motivation in each case. How can we apply it without falling into masochism?
- Make a bet. You can make a bet with anyone, from your parents and sibling to a friend or partner, on something you value. If you don’t achieve the goal you set, you lose the bet and have to give in. Remember, though, that commitment only works if you really can’t back out, so you have to stick to your word.
- Make a social commitment. Research has shown that when we make a goal public, we are more likely to achieve it, not only because we receive support and praise from others, but also because we would feel more embarrassed if we failed. A study conducted at Ohio State University found that this strategy is even more effective when we share our goals with someone truly significant in our lives whose opinion we care about and whom we do not want to disappoint.
- Set up a reward system. If you function better with rewards and want to avoid punishment, design a list of tiered rewards that you’ll give yourself as you progress toward your goal. You might start with a relaxing massage or a few hours at the spa, for example, and end with a trip you’re looking forward to taking. The key is to match each reward to the effort required so that you feel truly motivated.
When you set a goal, the most important thing is not to give up. It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you make progress. Skinner’s Law will help you stay on track so you can achieve your goals by creating a commitment to yourself that will strengthen your willpower in the long run.
References:
Thomson, J. (2024) Feeling unmotivated? Use “Skinner’s Law” to get yourself back on track. In: Big Think.
Klein, H. J. et. Al. (2020) When goals are known: The effects of audience relative status on goal commitment and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology;105(4): 372–389.
Kahneman, D. & Tversky, A. (2013) Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk. In: Handbook of the Fundamentals of Financial Decision Making; 99-127: 10.1142.
Giné, X. et. Al. (2010) Put Your Money Where Your Butt Is: A Commitment Contract for Smoking Cessation. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics; 2(4): 213-235.
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