Psychology: This mistake could prevent you from achieving your goals

When we set a goal, we usually have a specific outcome in mind. It might be a fitness goal if we want to exercise more, or a project at work that we want to successfully complete. When we've accomplished something, we're rightfully proud of it. But sometimes it's more than just this feeling of pride and success that we strive for. Sometimes other things motivate us—like money, a good grade, or praise from others. These rewards, therefore, tend to come from outside, unlike the feeling of accomplishment that comes from within us.

Psychology: This is why (material) motivation from outside can have the opposite effect

The problem with these external rewards: Once they're in play, we need them to stay on track. If the boss doesn't give us praise, or the bonus for the special project is smaller than expected, it can make us lose all motivation to continue working.

In psychology, this whole thing is called the corruption effect. It states that secondary motivation—money, praise, and so on—suppresses the primary, intrinsic motivation that comes from within us. While we were primarily motivated by the activity itself and how we feel about it, now only the external incentive—the results or things we get for it—does the trick. If these incentives disappear, we suddenly lack all motivation.

This has to do with how our brain works. When we receive praise, a good grade, or money, our brain releases dopamine. And this release can make us truly addicted. If that dopamine rush is no longer in sight, our brain no longer sees any point in making any further effort.

Research: The corruption effect was proven in an experiment

The corruption effect, also known as the overjustification effect, was first demonstrated in 1971 by a psychology professor at the University of Rochester in the United States. Edward Deci and his colleagues divided students into two groups, each of whom was asked to put together a puzzle.

The first group completed the puzzle twice without any material reward. The second group received payment after completing the puzzle the first time. The second time, the students in this group were offered no material incentive—and they were significantly less motivated to complete the puzzle than the first group, which hadn't received anything for it from the start.

Motivation should always come from within ourselves

So, when we try to motivate ourselves with external temptations, it usually backfires. We mistakenly believe we'll achieve better results if we motivate ourselves with money or the praise of our fitness trainer for achieving our workout goals. But in fact, the opposite is true. It's much more important that we have an inherent desire to do something and are proud of the fact that we're tackling things. Above all, we have to enjoy what we're doing—whether it's sports, work, or something else.

If we only ever strive for the dopamine rush that the result brings, we're much more likely to fail to stay on track. Internal motivation drives us in the long run and thus increases the chances that we'll actually achieve our goals sustainably.

mbl Brigitte

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