Incentives vs Rewards: Understanding the Psychology Behind Motivation

How do incentives differ from rewards in shaping behavior?

What role do incentives play in motivating specific actions?

How do rewards influence future behavior?

Answers:

Incentives are designed to stimulate favored behaviors by providing a motivating factor before the behavior occurs, while rewards are designed to reinforce favorable behaviors by providing feedback after the behavior has taken place, promoting its future repetition.

Explanation:

In the field of psychology, particularly in operant conditioning, incentives and rewards play different roles in shaping behavior. Incentives are designed to stimulate favored behaviors, while rewards are designed to reinforce favorable behaviors.

Incentives represent extrinsic motivation, often in the form of tangible gains (for example, money or benefits), to motivate individuals to exhibit a certain behavior. The anticipation of an incentive can stimulate a person to perform the desired action.

On the other hand, rewards are used post-behavior, aiming to reinforce that behavior to encourage its repetition in the future. Rewards can be both tangible, like a bonus, and intangible, such as praise or recognition. The effect of rewards on intrinsic motivation varies: for instance, if the reward is expected, it can lessen intrinsic motivation, but if it comes as a surprise, it can strengthen the intrinsic motivation to perform the task in the future.