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Read more: How do I translate and read the article on this website?Have you ever wondered why we as humans do certain things, or why we strongly follow specific habits? A very important psychological theory that answers this question is the 'Incentive Theory of Motivation'.
This theory explains very clearly that our actions and efforts are mostly driven by external benefits, rewards, and recognition, rather than just our internal desires. In short, it is the 'pursuit of rewards' waiting for us outside that keeps us running every day.
Understanding the depth behind this incentive theory helps improve our personal and professional lives in two major ways:
- Self-Awareness: You can accurately identify what truly keeps you going every day and what the real driving force is behind your motivation.
- Achieving Goals: Instead of relying only on willpower, you can easily achieve even hard goals without getting tired by setting up the right external incentives and boundaries for yourself.
The human mind always works by expecting recognition and results for its hard work. Let's look below in detail at these external forces that drive us and how we can use them to our advantage.
1. Incentive Theory of Motivation: The External Forces That Drive Us!
Why do we as humans do certain things? Psychologists look at the reasons for this from two different angles. One group says, "Our internal desires and wishes are what make us act" (For example: going to the gym every day because working out gives peace of mind). The other group says, "External factors and rewards are what drive us" (For example: working out intensely every day to win a cash prize in a competition).
The 'Incentive Theory of Motivation' is a very important psychological theory that talks about the second point mentioned: external rewards.
What is the Incentive Theory?
According to this theory, human behavior and actions are determined much more by external triggers (Outside Reinforcement / Incentives) like bonuses, praise, gifts, or recognition, rather than being driven by their internal desires. In short, the expectation of "What benefit will I get from the outside by doing this action?" is what keeps a person moving.
What are the benefits we can get from this?
Understanding this theory helps improve our daily life in two major ways:
- Self-Awareness: You can accurately identify why you do a specific thing or why you are addicted to a particular habit. When you realize what drives you, you can easily control your behavior.
- Achieving Goals Easily: By understanding your weaknesses and strengths, you can create the right external incentives for yourself. For example, by planning, "If I finish this hard work today, I will watch my favorite movie" or "If I reach this week's goal, I will buy myself a gift," you can beat your laziness and reach your goals very easily.
Remember:
The human mind always likes to work by calculating profits and losses. If you learn to use the external incentives around you to your advantage, you can always keep your motivation at its peak!
2. How to Increase Motivation Using Incentive Theory? (4 Simple Strategies)
We can use the 'Incentive Theory', which explains how external gifts and rewards drive us, to our advantage in daily life. By correctly setting up certain rules and rewards for ourselves, we can reach any difficult goal with high motivation. Here are 4 important ways to plan and implement it:
1. Choose a Favorite and Powerful Reward
The reward you set must be truly valuable to you. If that gift is not powerful enough to attract you, you will not get the interest to keep going. For example, let's say there is a web series or TV show that you really like. Create a strict rule for yourself: "I will watch this show only if I finish today's workout." This strong incentive will keep you active without laziness.
2. Prepare a List of Varied Rewards (Reward Playlist)
The same kind of reward will always cause boredom. Our desires and needs change according to the situation and time. Therefore, always keep a list of rewards ready for yourself. One time it could be your favorite food, another time it could be a short break, or buying an item you like. Choose the reward that feels important to your mindset at that moment and motivate yourself.
3. Visualize Receiving the Reward
Close your eyes for a few minutes and deeply visualize the reward you are going to get after finishing that work. Feel the happiness, satisfaction, and pride of receiving that gift with all your senses. When your subconscious mind realizes how important that reward is to you, you will turn into a racehorse ready to run towards it immediately.
4. Set Realistic Rules
You should not make the criteria for the reward too difficult. If you cannot even run a single kilometer but set a rule like "I will eat this snack only if I run 20 kilometers," it will make you more tired and stop you from even touching your shoes. Therefore, start goals and their rules simply and realistically according to your current capability. That itself will prepare you for the next bigger goals.
In Short:
Motivation does not just happen naturally; we can create it ourselves through the right strategies. Plan the right incentives for yourself, make challenges simple, and move forward toward success with excitement!
3. Incentive Theory vs. Other Motivation Theories: What Drives Humans?
We know that the 'Incentive Theory' talks about the external rewards responsible for human behavior. However, there are many other interesting theories in psychology to explain the unique actions and motivations of humans.
Here are 3 other important motivation theories developed by psychologists after studying the human brain and its needs:
1. Arousal Theory
According to this theory, every human wants to maintain a certain level of stimulation or 'arousal' (Physiological arousal) in their body and mind. We do many things just to balance that level.
• Example: When a person feels highly bored in life, they do dangerous things like jumping from a plane with a parachute (Skydiving) to trigger an adventurous feeling (Adrenaline rush) inside the body. When the same person is under high stress, they listen to soothing music seeking peace.
2. Drive-Reduction Theory
The human body always fights to keep itself in a steady balance (Homeostasis). This theory states that when a biological need or shortage occurs inside the body, we act to satisfy it and reduce that discomfort (Reduce biological drives).
• Example: When our body shivers in winter, we immediately look for and wear a sweater or a coat to reduce that discomfort and make the body warm.
3. Instinct Theory
This theory states that certain actions of humans and animals are genetically written right at birth without anyone teaching them (Inborn/Evolutionary needs). All essential needs for survival operate based on this automatic instinct.
• Example: Eating food naturally when we are hungry to avoid dying of starvation and to stay alive. No training is needed for this; it is a defensive trait (Survival Instinct) given to us by nature.
Comparison - In Short:
- Incentive Theory: Acting for a profit obtained from the outside (Incentives).
- Arousal Theory: Acting to achieve a mental and physical balance (Arousal level).
- Drive-Reduction Theory: Fighting to reduce the body's temporary need/discomfort.
- Instinct Theory: Operating automatically through inborn traits for survival.
The human mind is a beautiful mix of all these theories. When we realize why we do a task through these theories, we can guide ourselves even better!
4. Challenges of Incentive Theory: Not All Rewards Keep Everyone Running!
Even though it is true that external gifts and rewards make humans act, there are some practical challenges and complications in this 'Incentive Theory'. Not all rewards in the world are equal; a reward that gives you a huge motivation might be completely uninteresting to another person.
Physiological, social, and cognitive factors determine which reward attracts a person. We can easily understand these challenges through three main examples:
1. Challenge Based on Physiological State (Example: Hunger)
The value of a reward changes depending on the current need of your body. When you are severely hungry, 'delicious food' offered to you will be a massive incentive; you will dare to do any work to get it. However, if the same food is shown after you have already eaten until your stomach is full, it will not attract you at all and will not give any motivation.
2. Challenge Based on Personal Preferences (Example: Video Game)
The personal desires and thoughts of humans are different. If you tell a teenager, "If you clean your room, I will buy you your favorite video game," he will immediately start cleaning the room for that reward. But if you say this to another boy who has absolutely no interest in video games, that reward will not matter to him at all. Because of this, he will not come forward to do that work.
3. Challenge Based on Situation (Example: Parents' Praise)
The value of a reward can change completely depending on the situation we are in. Famous psychological writer Stephen L. Franzoi has mentioned an excellent example for this in his book:
When you are alone at home, your parents praising you will be a positive incentive that gives you happiness and motivation. However, if the same parents praise you in front of your friends, you would rather avoid that praise out of fear that your friends might tease you. Here, because the environment changes, the reward called praise loses its value.
Remember:
If you want to motivate someone or yourself using the incentive theory, just giving a 'gift' is not enough. Real wisdom lies in analyzing who that person is, what their current need is, and what environment they are in, and then choosing a suitable reward for them!
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5. Practical Examples: How Incentive Theory Drives Our Daily Life?
If we closely observe our daily life, we can understand how far the Incentive Theory has taken control over us. Most of the things we do are either for a profit obtained from the outside or to escape from an upcoming danger.
Psychologically, we can look at these incentives by dividing them into two major categories:
1. Incentives Toward Profit (Positive Incentives)
Working hard for the good things, rewards, or recognition that we will get by doing an action belongs to this category.
- Excellent Marks in Studies: Staying up until midnight and studying with the goal of getting good grades or the first rank in the exam.
- Medal in Sports: Training for months just to run and finish a tough marathon race and hold the medal or certificate for that victory in hand.
- Promotion at Work: Taking up additional responsibilities at the office and working hard solely because of the expectation of getting a salary raise and the next level of promotion.
2. Incentives to Avoid Punishment (Negative Incentives)
Doing certain things to protect ourselves from the punishment, loss, or negative consequences that we will face if we fail to do an action belongs to this category.
- Avoiding Failure: Finishing and submitting a big assignment within the specific date out of fear of failing in that subject.
- Maintaining Health: Avoiding a burger that tastes good to the tongue and eating a green vegetable salad out of a sense of caution that body weight should not increase (or health should not get ruined).
- Protecting Peace: Controlling anger and remaining silent (biting your tongue) during a heated argument even though justice is on our side, just to ensure a big fight or misunderstanding does not happen there.
In Short:
Human behavior is like two sides of a coin. One side is the 'attraction toward a reward', and the other side is the 'defense to escape from damage'. These two external factors are what make us wake up from bed every day, make us work hard, and smoothly move our life forward!
6. Types of Incentives: The 'Reward' and 'Punishment' That Drive Us!
In psychology, an 'incentive' is an external factor that can determine our behavior and actions. This incentive theory, which explains why we act in a certain way and why we avoid certain things, divides incentives into two major categories:
1. Positive Incentives
The pleasant things or rewards obtained as a gift when we perform a specific action belong to this category. This acts as a catalyst that encourages a person to do that action again and again.
• Example: The additional commission a salesperson working in a company gets when successfully reaching the set sales targets. This cash reward will make them work with even more excitement the next month.
2. Negative Incentives
The fines, penalties, or losses given to us to prevent us from doing a specific action or to make us avoid wrong things belong to this category. This creates a defensive sense and keeps us traveling on the right path.
• Example: The 'speeding ticket' imposed by the police on someone who drives at high speed, exceeding the allowed speed limit on the road. This monetary loss and legal action serve as a lesson for them to avoid accidents and drive carefully next time.
Remember:
Both in life and in management, these two incentives are required in equal measure to guide humans correctly. 'Positive incentive' acts as an attractive force that keeps a person running toward a goal; 'negative incentive' acts like a brake that prevents them from going down a dangerous path!
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7. How Incentive Theory Works: The Simple Science That Shapes Human Behavior!
Every action we make is driven by a reason or motivation. What the 'Incentive Theory' says is that it is the external incentives that make humans act, rather than their internal desires. The human mind is always attracted toward positive things that bring profit; at the same time, it runs away from negative consequences that bring loss or punishment.
This strongly aligns with the concept called 'Operant Conditioning' developed by B.F. Skinner, a famous psychologist. Its core idea is also the same: all human actions are designed either to receive gifts or to avoid penalties.
Forms of Rewards
External incentives or rewards do not have to be just money or materials. They can be in various forms:
- Students: They study hard to get good grades in exams, receive praise from teachers, or gain good recognition among parents.
- Employees: Money is a very powerful external incentive in daily life. Many people give their hard work solely for a salary raise, bonus, and similar things.
What Qualifications Are Needed for an Incentive to Work?
Not all rewards keep everyone running. For an incentive to make you act, it must have two things:
- Achievable: The set goal must be realistic. If an exam is too hard and passing it is impossible, a student will not study for the reward of "first rank". The brain will stop working, thinking "it is not going to be achieved anyway".
- Significant: The reward offered must be equal to or better than the hard work that the person puts in. No one will waste their time and effort for a trivial gift.
The Power to Shape Habits
These external gifts will trigger you to do household chores or tough tasks that you do not like and find boring. Similarly, these negative incentives can also be used to stop a bad habit.
For example, when the terrible negative consequence, "Smoking will damage your lungs and cause lung cancer," is repeatedly pointed out to a person who has a smoking habit, they will come forward to quit that habit to escape from that danger.
Remember:
The incentive theory is an excellent tool to change human behavior and create good new habits. Shape your incentives correctly and change your life yourself!
8. History of Incentive Theory: The Psychological Evolution Explaining Human Behavior!
There is a long psychological history behind the search for what drives humans. We can look at the historical path as a timeline, showing how the concept emerged that human behavior is determined by external incentives rather than created solely by internal emotions.
1938 – B.F. Skinner’s Revolutionary Book
Famous psychologist B.F. Skinner played a primary role in making the world understand the impact of external factors on human behavior. In his book “Behavior of Organisms”, he argued that human actions are driven much more by external rewards than being triggered by internal emotions.
He also identified three major environmental factors that trigger a person's behavior:
- Deprivation: The shortage of an item creates a search toward it.
- Satiation: The fulfillment experienced when a need is satisfied.
- Aversive Stimulation: Trying to escape from a punishing or dangerous environment.
1940s - 1950s – Clark Hull’s Drive Theory
In these decades, the incentive theory reached its next stage of evolution. The 'drive theories' of several scholars, including psychologist Clark Hull, made a huge impact on this. Hull suggested that the basic biological needs of humans (like hunger and thirst) create the basic motivation for them to do a task.
Late 1950s – Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Scholar Frederick Herzberg further expanded this theory and created the 'Two-factor incentive theory' tailored for corporate and work environments. He conducted a detailed study to find out what determines the job satisfaction of employees and separated two major factors:
- Motivators: Praise, recognition, opportunity for achievement, and next-level advancement. These will inspire a person to work even better.
- Hygiene Factors: Organizational policies, compensation, and the quality of the work environment. If these are not proper, employees will experience job dissatisfaction.
In Short:
Starting with Skinner's basic behavioral research in the 1930s to Herzberg's management theory in the 1950s, the understanding of the external forces that make humans act has been continuously improved. This very history is the foundation for many management and self-improvement strategies we use today!
Key Takeaways
Here are the 3 most important brief facts about the Incentive Theory and its impacts on human life:
- The Power of External Rewards: We as humans are not driven solely by internal desires. It is the external rewards like profits, gifts, and recognition waiting for us outside that motivate us to do most things.
- The Impact of Environmental Factors: Behavioral scientist B.F. Skinner believed that all our actions are directly affected by the environmental events around us. Especially, the shortage of an item (Deprivation) and the defensive sense to escape from a dangerous environment (Aversive stimulation) make us act faster.
- Qualifications of a Successful Incentive: The rewards you use to motivate yourself or others must have two qualifications. First, it must be realistic and achievable. Second, it must be useful and important enough to act as a driving force for that person to work. Both of these are what make an incentive successful!
References.
- Franzoi, S. L. (2021). Psychology: A discovery experience (4th ed.). Cengage Learning.
https://worldcat.org/title/1245760920 - American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Incentive. In APA dictionary of psychology. Retrieved July 16, 2026, from
https://dictionary.apa.org/incentive - Syptak, J. M., Marsland, D. W., & Ulmer, D. (1999). Job satisfaction: Putting theory into practice. Family Practice Management, 6(9), 26–30.
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/1999/1000/p26.html - Skinner, B. F. (1938). The behavior of organisms: An experimental analysis. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
https://worldcat.org/title/1033646269 - Sundberg, M. L. (2013). Thirty points about motivation from Skinner’s book Verbal Behavior. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 29(1), 13–40.
https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03393120
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