When to Use Positive or Negative Messages for Motivation

Positive thinking can be a great way to motivate yourself to maintain healthy habits … but also negative messages such as fear of failure. A new review of the psychology of motivation gives us four ways to decide when a positive or negative message will work best.

Here’s a great example of the negative message that motivated cartoonist Matt Inman and, in turn, thousands of people who are fans of his Blair-themed races . He described his motivation for Runner’s World :

“When I first started running about 10 years ago, I could barely run a mile,” Matt said as we raced through the park. “I always found a waypoint — the next tree or corner — and I told myself that this unfortunate, depressed fat man was following me. And if I don’t get to this point before him, he will catch me, and I will become him. “

Fear-based messages motivate some people and demotivate others. Here are four factors that scientists at the Cornell Food and Brand Laboratory have identified as relevant:

  1. Do you feel that you are very involved and aware of this issue? If so, negative reporting may work better because you understand why negative reporting is bad and what you can do about it. On the other hand, if you’re trying to convince someone who is only partially interested in a subject, a positive message will work better.
  2. Will you focus on the details or just the general message? Similar to the first point, if you are willing to digest all the small details that make up the message (for example, if you go and obsessively read your chosen topic), negative messages will work well. But someone who is more inclined to ignore the details and only listen to the general tone of the message is likely to be put off by negative messages. If you don’t want to go into details, please leave a positive message.
  3. How confident is the result? If something is mostly certain – say, you’re on a great diet, but you want the reminder not to fall off the cart – positive messages are best. But if you’re not sure if something will work out, reminding you of the negative consequences may be more effective.
  4. How do you feel about risk? If you don’t like taking risks, you will probably respond better to positive messages about the wonderful things you get by doing something useful. But if you love risk, you will be more motivated to take action when you are reminded of the negative consequences.

The Cornell scientists based their advice on public health reports and how large groups of people have responded, but it seems likely that the same considerations apply to self-motivation. Someone who is afraid of Blerch probably understands how exercise can help them avoid obesity and depression, and fears that he could become Blerch if they don’t act quickly. Meanwhile, the best candidate for a positive assessment “Running is good for you!” The message would be for someone who knows little about exercise but loves the idea of ​​looking and feeling their best and believes they are more likely to succeed if they try. What messages work for you?

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