Full Description
What does science tell us about motivation? This book challenges common myths about motivation and offers readers strategies for successfully motivating themselves and others.
Many unscientific and inaccurate ideas about motivation persist because they seem so logical, simple, or appealing. For example, we may say that someone is amp ldquo unmotivated amp rdquo and assume that this is just part of their personality, whereas in reality everyone is motivated and it amp rsquo s more likely that their inaction is related to their interests or to their environment.
This book reveals the scientific truth about motivation. Readers will learn to identify and debunk ten persistent myths about motivation-for example, that visualizing success leads to success, that competition increases motivation for everyone, and that rewards are the best way to enhance motivation-and replace those myths with accurate knowledge that will help them take positive steps toward their goals.
Each chapter uses cutting-edge psychological research and theory to offer scientifically supported strategies for boosting motivation in a variety of contexts including school, work, health, and parenting.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Ten Myths About Motivation and the Science That Busts Them
Chapter . You Are Motivated, and So Is Everyone Else
Chapter 2. There Are More Effective Motivators than Rewards
Chapter 3. Competition Can Actually Be Demotivating
Chapter 4. Motivation Alone is Not Enough For Success
Chapter 5. Visualizing Success Won amp rsquo t Get You There
Chapter . Don amp rsquo t Wait for Motivation to Strike
Chapter 7. We Need Help Accurately Assessing Our Abilities
Chapter 8. Structure Can Increase Motivation
Chapter 9. Telling People They Are Smart Can Backfire
Chapter . It amp rsquo s Not Just You-Structural Inequities Decrease Motivation
Conclusion. Your Turn: Putting the Science of Motivation to Use
Bonus Chapter A: The Complexity of Motivation and Why We Struggle With It
Bonus Chapter B: Where Motivation Myths Come From, Why They Stick Around, and How to Bust Them
References
About the Authors
Index
