Motivation

The Reiss Motivation Profile® is a test instrument for recording human motivation. It was developed scientifically and is based on a theory that integrates and further develops approaches by Gordon Allport and Abraham Maslow.

Although psychologists have developed empirically testable theories for personality psychological subareas or individual phenomena such as anxiety or anger, there are no comprehensive theoriesof motivation that can be empirically tested. For example, Maslow's theory of motive is scientificallynot verifiable, Sigmund Freud's personality model only in partial areas. The theory of the 16 life motives, on the other hand, is a scientifically comprehensive approach to human behavior that can be verified at any time.

Myths of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Myths about the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic motivationpersist -not least because social psychological studies use problematic experimental designs instead of adhering to the quality criteria of objectivity, reliability and validity that are consensual among experts. Results of these studies not infrequently go in the direction of a "one size fits all" solution. Steven Reisscounters this with his research. Motivation -viewed in a differentiated way -is distinctly individual and always intrinsic.

Certain goals are common to all and deeply rooted in human nature. The motivation to experience these universal goals is called "intrinsic motivation" or "basic need."
Steven Reiss

Social psychological experiments not infrequently deliver spectacular results that also seem comprehensible to us, which is why they are then also taken up by the media and conveyed to us in the form of simple "if-then" messages. "Children learn best when..." "Employees are more motivated when ..." We often instinctively agree when we read such things.

What motivates people?

And most importantly, what can we do to get them to do what we want them to do? To answer this question, an essential element now comes into play in many experimental designs: external incentives. What do individuals do in order to enjoy a certain reward? Quite a few, quite questionable experiments reach conclusions that detect both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.

Steven Reiss believes that the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation has no scientific basis. "I am convinced,"says Steven Reiss, "that there are 16 intrinsic motives (or needs), but no extrinsic motives. Each of the 16 motives is capable of triggering, motivating interest in an activity, and each of the 16 motives can lead to interest in a reward."

In an experiment, a child is offered a gift for a good drawing. The child makes the drawing and receives the reward. Subsequently, we are interested in whether the child -on its own -now makes further drawings after having received external incentives. If he does not draw more often, this would be interpreted as a low internal motivation. But if the child now draws more often after receiving a reward, this would not be interpreted as confirmation of higher intrinsic motivation. One would then assume that the child was striving for a reward and thus extrinsically motivated. "That is, less drawing supports the theory, but more drawing does not contradict the theory either," Steven Reiss sums up.

Steven Reiss criticizes that studies favoring the concept of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation have not been scrutinized critically enough. For example, far too little attention has been paid to the negative aspect of rewards.

In his groundbreaking book, Punished by rewards, Alfie Kohn describes the effects of a misunderstood incentive system that still shapes our schools and businesses.

Kohn draws on hundreds of studies to show that employees actually perform inferior work when lured with money, good evaluations, or some similar factor. "Programs that use rewards to change people's behavior," Kohn says, "however, are always ultimately ineffective." An extrinsic gift for good behavior can never produce more than temporary obedience. The more we use artificial incentives to gain employee motivation, for example, the more they lose interest in what we're bribing them to do. Rewards turn play into work and work into a chore.

What is the alternative?

For those who have been working with the Reiss Motivation Profile® for some time, this question is not too difficult to answer. Although this does not mean that it is easy to find individual alternatives for grown systems. Quite the opposite -finding solutions in the individual is a demanding approach, because it must be preceded by engaging with other people, honestly engaging in an exchange that must also be about learning from the other person, not lecturing them. And it requires people in systems to engage unconditionally in relationship with individuals -even those who cause them problems. And all of this is difficult, intense, demanding, and at the same time satisfying and rewarding work.

Criticism of science does no harm

Especially not where simple truths are served up in the form of easy solutions. Not infrequently, we will find that studies use painfully simple experimental designs that set a clear focus but simply negate essential further criteria of influence onthe object of study.

This is especially true of studies on cooperative learning. It should make us skeptical when they come to a "one size fits all" conclusion, such as the assertion that cooperative learning situations enable all children to develop best. This attitude is both (dis)judgmental and dangerous. This is because the proponents of the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are placing their sense of value above all others, possibly with the best intention that this is for the good of all. Unfortunately, those children who are more competitive are now taught that there must be something wrong with them if they enjoy competition.

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, can be understood, according to Steven Reiss, as promoting human freedom. This, of course, includes the freedom to strive for material solutions (rewards).

How to motivate someone

„There's no point in trying to motivate another person by appealing to values they don't have.“
Steven Reiss

To motivate another person, you have to appeal to their personal values. This may sound simple, but it's not. Too often we try to get others to act by appealing to our own values instead of appealing to their values. A classic example of this is the soccer coach who tells his team that the next game will be a test of character. We evaluated thousands of athletes and found that as an overall group, they don't really care about character. We asked anonymous questions such as "agree/disagree: I try to behave in accordance with a code of conduct," and many of them answered "disagree." Accordingly, it makes no sense for a coach to try to motivate players by appealing to values that do not exist. We have a natural inclination to think our own values are the best, and not just for ourselves, but for everyone else. People who discover how great it feels to win think they have figured out something about human nature, namely that winning feels great. When in fact they have only learned something about themselves. Individuality is much more valued than is generally thought. Although competitive people like to win, there are many others who don't like to play for points and who tend to be demotivated by competitive situations.

We have a tendency to impose our values on others. For example, some teachers believe that everyone is born with a cognitive curiosity. Faced with the fact that some students are not interested in intellectual pursuits, these educators nevertheless try to teach their students the joys of intellectual life. They do not appeal to the student's values, but try to impose their own values on them. This doesn't work. Some hardworking and industrious parents try to motivate their relaxed and easy-going teenagers by preaching to them the importance of achievement. Only, relaxed teenagers are notinterested in success. If they were, they wouldn't be as comfortable with their laid-back lifestyle. Instead, they value their free time. Push them too hard and they'll block even further.

Some employers want to motivate employees in the form of bonuses. But only some employees are motivated by extra financial rewards. Others are driven by a need to feel competent, and still others are motivated by a need to serve society in some way. But how can they learn about the values and goals of someone they want to motivate?

We have tested with many thousands of people from North America, Europe and Asia. We have worked with students from around the world, with employees in North America and Europe, and with managers of major corporations. We have spent nearly two decades gathering evidence on the 16 life motives that are common to all of us and deeply rooted in human nature. These needs are recognition, curiosity, food, family, honor, idealism, independence, order, physical activity, power, Eros, saving, relationships, status, rest, and revenge. All human motives seem to boil down to these 16 life motives or a combination of them. We try to understand people by asking them, "What are your goals?", "What are you trying to accomplish?" Surprisingly, psychology often assumes that conscious motives would be shallow. Instead, it asks, "What happened in your childhood? How do you feel about your parents?" We learn that people are motivated to implement their values. So if you want to motivate someone, relative, student, oremployee, it would be wise to focus on what is important to them.

Human behavior is purposeful

Almost all psychologists consider motivation as psychic energy. Steven Reiss considered it to be the assertion of central values. We are by nature a species that wants to live out our values. This need drives us, makes us act and inspires us.

Psychologists have spent a century trying to understand why individuals behave in a certain way. This has included motivational psychology, a subdiscipline of psychology that studies the direction, persistence, and impact (intensity) of behavior. In doing so, they have ignored the question of meaning and paid little attention to human values.

Steven Reiss' thesis states that we are driven by intentions and values. The bestway to understand those around us is to look at their intentions, life goals and values and try to understand them. This is also the best way to predict how others will behave in their work environment, at home, at school, or in sports.

Motivation is the assertion of values, not the discharge of psychic energy. Motivation is about intention, not a mechanical cause-and-effect process. Thus, if we want to understand human behavior, we must determine what the person is trying to accomplish and what the personvalues. Not what we ourselves value, but what the person we are trying to understand values. We have developed an effective method for determining a person's values and goals -the Reiss Motivation Profile®.