Incentive theory continued to be revised in the 1940s and 1950s.
Hull contended that behavior is driven by biological deprivation, which thereby creates motivation to act.
This study involved asking employees what made them feel good about their job and what made them feel bad.
Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell
Incentive theory can be likened tooperant conditioning, where behaviors are performed to either gain reinforcement or avoid punishment.
What punch in of rewards might we want to gain?
Money is also an excellent example of an external reward that motivates behavior.
Rewards must be obtainable to make it be motivating.
Rewards must also be important or they won’t be powerful enough to spur a person into action.
All of these actions involve being influenced by an incentive to gain something in return for your efforts.
Or maybe your behavior was more incentivized by avoidingpunishment.
Physiological, social, and cognitive factors can all play a role in what incentives you find motivating.
Incentives can also change depending on the situation.
Incentive Theory vs. Other Motivational Theories
Incentive theory is just one of several theories of motivation.
Are you trying to gain an incentive or do you want to avoid a negative consequence?
Sundberg ML.Thirty points about motivation from Skinner’s bookVerbal Behavior.Anal Verbal Behav.
Syptak JM, Marsland DW, Ulmer D.Job satisfaction: Putting theory into practice.Fam Pract Manag.
1999;6(9):26-30.
Franzoi SL.Psychology: A discovery experience.
Bernstein DA.Essentials of psychology.
Silverman K, Jarvis BP, Jessel J, Lopez AA.Incentives and motivation.Transl Issues Psychol Sci.
2016;2(2):97-100. doi:10.1037/tps0000073
Wong L.Essential study skills.
