“Motivation” entered into the search engine gives almost 10 million results. No wonder – it finally stands by all actions. Skillfully used knowledge about it may encourage you to take or give up activity. How to help your child manage their own motivation resources and not to make them dependent on prizes?

Motivation has mainly two faces:

• External – is associated with the expectation of reward for their actions – going to work is motivated by a salary, drawing in a kindergarten – despite the honest reluctance to paint with paints – can end with a good assessment or praise from favorite teacher.
• Internal – the effort is made not because it leads to a tangible effect, but to the pleasure of doing something and the internal reward (joy, satisfaction).
Modern theories of motivation suggest that both types can co-exist in different proportions – this is important information in the context of understanding children’s behavior.

Unexpected change of places

Ola, a lover of evenings spent with a brush and paints, starts getting a few zlotys from her parents for each picture. She likes this layout and starts working at a dizzying pace, producing several drawings every day. Parents after some time forget about rewarding the artistic efforts of their daughter and stop giving her money. Shortly after that, Ola leaves her painting corner and becomes interested in playing hockey. What happened? It would seem that the girl’s motivation has disappeared. It did not happen, it just changed – from internal to external. And external motivation depends on rewards coming from the environment, not internal ones like joy. Their lack caused Ola’s resignation from her beloved hobby. Classical psychology studies show that the activity for which we receive a salary ceases to occupy ourselves for pleasure. The prizes awarded for commitment and results reduce the level of internal motivation.

Acceptance, appreciation, rewarding – delete as appropriate

What positively influences internal motivation is positive feedback. Feedback on the child’s activities, appreciation of his efforts and praise for commitment are a recipe for strengthening internal motivation without the risk of rewarding for rewards. Because the real willingness to act really does not need much to develop further. And what about children who do not engage in attractive or valuable activities? The need for action and development in the most popular classification of needs, the pyramid of Abraham Maslow, stands for a more important need – safety, physiological satisfaction. Taking employees away from their salary means not meeting a fundamental need, which leaves the motivation to act in the background. Similarly, it can be with children who insist that they will not brush their teeth or play with their cousins ​​at a party – it is worth checking if they are not under stress due to unmet needs. It is worth checking out what prevents your child from becoming involved – and help him enjoy carefree action.

Bibliography
Deci, E.L., Koestner, R., Ryan, R.M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627-668.
Sekuła, Z. (2008). Motywowanie do pracy: teorie i instrumenty. Warszawa: Polskie Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne.