What causes (and sustains) a

MOTIVATION WAVE? Kelly Schmutte, 10. 23. 12

Hypothesis:

Motivation Waves are

CYCLICAL. Whether you ride one out for a bit, or crash soon after, it’s only a matter of time until you hit another one.

Trigger

Riding the Wave (positive feedback

loop)

A variety of Accelerators in the Momentum Zone start to build toward

a Motivation Wave. After the priming of the Accelerators, a final Trigger starts the Wave.

The Motivation Wave can be sustained for awhile through a Positive Feedback Loop, but will eventually subside.

The more Accelerators, the higher the Wave amplitude.

Tangible Feedback (negative)

Social Influence (negative)

Decrease in Perceived Effort

Sense of Agency

A variety of Accelerators in the Momentum Zone start to build toward a Motivation Wave. A key emotional component that ultimately drives the person to act is GUILT. Tangible Feedback (negative). Immediate, real-time feedback that one’s actions (or lack thereof) are of direct personal harm to oneself.

Social Influence (negative). Being pressured out of guilt based on what one’s peers or surrounding community are doing. Social influence is tremendously powerful in motivating behavior, either from a negative or positive angle. People have an innate need to belong to a community, and will adopt all kinds of behaviors to achieve this sense of belonging.

Decrease in Perceived Effort. A decline in what one thinks a given behavior is going to cost in terms of one’s time and energy.

Sense of Agency. A sense that what one is doing is really making a difference.

Tangible Feedback (negative)

Social Influence (negative)

Decrease in Perceived Effort

Sense of Agency

Trigger

After a person has been “primed” with one or more of these Accelerators, a Trigger will set the Motivation Wave in motion. The Trigger could come in any size, shape, or form, but simply removes the floodgates on the emotions and motivations that have been building in the Motivation Zone.

Tangible Feedback (positive)

Social Influence (positive)

Decrease in Perceived Effort

Sense of Agency

Riding the Wave (positive feedback

loop)

EMPOWERMENT A new set of Accelerators (all of which are the same forces as in the Momentum Zone, just from a positive angle) create the potential to keep a person riding high on the Motivation Wave. Tangible Feedback now serves to reinforce the behavior, and Social Influence helps to make a person feel positively enabled based on the encouragement and leadership of one’s friends, family, and community. Guilt, the overarching emotion in the Momentum Zone, has been replaced by a feeling of EMPOWERMENT.

The Motivation Wave can be sustained for awhile through this Positive Feedback Loop, but will eventually subside.

I notice I’ve gained weight and my pants are tight. (Tangible Feedback)

More are more people are biking to work since they started that incentive program. (Social Influence)

Dan got me that new bike for Christmas and I know it’s comfortable and easy to ride. (Decrease in Perceived Effort)

I’m not really trying, but I know I could lose weight biking if I just tried it. (Sense of Agency)

Riding the Wave (positive feedback

loop)

AN EXAMPLE… Motivation Wave for Kathy being more physically active

My pants fit better, the scale is going down, and I just have so much more energy! (Tangible Feedback)

My co-workers have been so supportive. And Dan even invited me to go riding with him and the guys sometime. (Social Influence)

Biking is easier than I thought! And it seems like it gets easier every day. The showers at

work make it easier, too. (Decrease in Perceived Effort)

I really can control my figure. (Sense of Agency)

Jenny invites me to bike to work with her and Jeff on Friday. I decide to give biking a try for a couple weeks. (Trigger)

EMPOWERMENT (If and when the positive feedback loop subsides, Kathy will see the Motivation Wave die out and will eventually start the cycle again.)