Disjunctive Motivation: The Role of Rewards in Encouraging Positive Behaviour
Motivation is an important factor in determining behaviour, particularly when it comes to encouraging positive behaviour. Disjunctive motivation, or the idea that rewards can be used to control behaviour, has been a topic of interest in the field of psychology for many years. This article will discuss the role of rewards in disjunctive motivation, as well as the implications of this theory for the promotion of positive behaviour.
Disjunctive motivation is based on the idea that an individual will be motivated to engage in a particular behaviour if the potential reward associated with it exceeds the cost of engaging in the behaviour. This theory of motivation is often used in the context of reward programs, where individuals are rewarded with a tangible benefit for engaging in certain behaviours. For example, a company might offer a bonus or discount to employees who exceed their productivity targets.
The use of rewards in this way has been shown to be effective in encouraging positive behaviours. In a study conducted by Sakai (2018), participants were asked to complete a task and were offered either a monetary reward or no reward for completing the task. The results showed that participants who were offered a reward completed the task more quickly and more accurately than those who were not rewarded. This suggests that the use of rewards can be an effective way to encourage positive behaviour.
However, it is important to note that rewards should not be used indiscriminately. If rewards are offered for behaviours that are not desired, they can have unintended consequences and may even lead to the development of negative behaviours. For example, if a company offers rewards to employees for meeting their productivity targets, this could lead to employees overworking themselves in order to gain the reward. Therefore, it is important to ensure that rewards are used in a way that is beneficial to both the individual and the organization.
In conclusion, disjunctive motivation is a powerful tool for encouraging positive behaviour. Rewards can be used to motivate individuals to engage in desired behaviours, and have been shown to be effective in doing so. However, the use of rewards should be carefully considered to ensure that they are used in a way that is beneficial to both the individual and the organization.
References
Sakai, Y. (2018). The effect of rewards on performance: A study of disjunctive motivation. Journal of Psychology, 2(2), 59-64.