Articles tagged with Motivation
A recent study published in BMC Psychology found that keeping a daily gratitude journal for just two weeks can significantly increase academic motivation in Japanese college students. The intervention showed a robust positive effect on motivation levels, even after three months, by decreasing amotivation scores.
A mathematical model suggests repaying loans quickly can minimize cost, but delaying payments may be more beneficial for large balances. Borrowers should consider maximizing early payments and switching to income-based repayment when forgiveness is near.
A six-week Basketball Mathematics program improved math motivation, self-determination, and mastery among 756 Danish schoolchildren. The study found that students who participated in the program showed a 16% increase in math motivation and a 14% rise in self-determination compared to those who did not participate.
A UMD study found that supporting Indonesian women in conservation sciences can help tackle global biodiversity challenges. The research, which documented the motivations and challenges faced by women in this field, highlights the need for culturally appropriate training and mentorship to enable their participation.
An international survey found that messaging emphasizing health system burden, personal risks, and financial motivations was most effective in encouraging smokers to quit. The research highlighted the importance of tailored communication prioritizing COVID-related health risk to support public health efforts during the pandemic.
A new study found that 33% of participants initially refused to know the climate impact of their food choices. However, after being informed, they reduced their carbon footprint by an average of 12%. The researchers believe obligatory climate labeling is necessary for effective results.
A new study by Ohio State University researchers found that increasing students' sense of belonging in school is a key way to boost academic motivation. Over two years, the study followed more than 1,600 students and found that most shifted towards more adaptive profiles with better motivational characteristics.
A study published in Psychology and Aging suggests that older adults exhibit lower mind-wandering frequency and perform better on cognitive tasks due to increased motivation. This is attributed to their ability to reduce anxiety and improve focus, which enables them to mitigate potential costs associated with mind-wandering.
Researchers define Sneakerhead sub-culture as driven by history, nostalgia, and exclusivity. African-American men in the mid-Atlantic region identify with the movement, valuing rare sneakers and admiring their history, with a strong sense of community among members.
A study by University of Nottingham researchers found that people donate Covid-19 plasma because they want to show gratitude for surviving the virus and feel morally obligated to help others. The main barrier to donating was a fear of needles, with generic fears also playing a significant role.
Researchers found that desire for self-control is influenced by societal demands and internal motivations, with individuals low in trait self-control expressing greater DSC. Desire for self-control hinges on sense of necessity to accomplish current goals, leading to increased willingness to enroll in training.
A new study examines the factors associated with US public motivation to self-test for COVID-19 and distribute self-test kits. The research found that individual characteristics, social norms, and community-level factors play a significant role in shaping this motivation.
A study by the University of Konstanz found that voluntary motivation to comply with anti-COVID-19 policies is relatively high in Germany, but can be crowded out by enforcement. Measures like limiting contacts and vaccinations showed higher agreement when implemented voluntarily, while wearing masks and travel restrictions had the same...
Research suggests that goals involving helping others are more satisfying and lead to increased happiness. Acts of benevolence increase positive mood and energy, while narrow self-focused concerns can lead to decreased happiness. Experts recommend focusing on contributing to the world for a happier life.
Researchers found that apathy can signal cognitive decline in people with frontotemporal dementia, even decades before other symptoms appear. The study used brain scans and memory tests to track changes in apathy over time and found that it predicted cognitive problems in individuals with a genetic mutation.
A new model suggests that biased evaluations can be useful for motivating employees, particularly those with high career concerns. The ideal evaluator should be stricter on capable employees but more lenient on less capable ones. This approach can be applied to various scenarios, such as organizing internships.
Researchers explored the impact of eye position on speech intelligibility within a cocktail party setting. They found that performance was best when eye fixation was on target and suffered when off target.
Researchers used fMRI to study effort-based decision-making and found two distinct regions of the ventral striatum associated with different phases of physical effort. The findings provide new insights into motivation, depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD.
A study on language aptitude identified key components of language acquisition as cognitive, emotional, and personality-related characteristics. Effective language learning depends on thought process, emotional experience, motivation, and personal traits such as self-esteem and anxiety levels.
As people age, their motivation to learn declines. Researchers identified a brain circuit critical for maintaining this motivation and found that it can be boosted in older mice by reactivating the circuit, which was previously shown to suppress motivation.
A new study from North Carolina State University found that users' desire to help others with mental health problems is a powerful driver for using chatbots. The researchers surveyed 1,114 U.S. adults who had used chatbots for mental health services and discovered that helping others was twice as motivating as helping oneself.
Researchers found neurons in the striosome contribute to both positive reinforcement learning and negative-reinforcement learning, highlighting the complex motivation-processing hub in this brain region. Understanding its function is critical for developing better treatments for mental illnesses such as depression and addiction.
A study by Professor Kai Kaspar found that people's motivation to socially distance increases with the severity of their perceived infection. Motivation to use corona apps also depends on trust in official providers and confidence in data handling, with users more likely to report higher motivation when they believe apps will help prev...
A UCL-led study found that unequal compensation reduces people's happiness and willingness to work. The research suggests that large disparities in rewards for the same task bring about greater unhappiness, leading to lower motivation and well-being. Participants who were told they would benefit from unfair advantages still showed a de...
Scientists discovered that a specific brain pathway is crucial for motivation but not for reward-driven learning. The research may lead to more precise interventions and effective therapies for psychiatric disorders.
A study found that increased sleepiness is tied to decreases in social activity, especially on days off and in the evenings, while more social activity in the afternoon can lead to longer sleep duration. The complex relationship between social activity and subsequent sleepiness suggests that sleepiness may impede voluntary social contact.
A recent study found that social components of fitness apps facilitate motivation and beliefs in physical activity, leading to increased engagement. The study highlights the importance of social support in promoting exercise behavior.
A study published in Neuropsychopharmacology found that the balance between glutamine and glutamate levels in the nucleus accumbens is crucial for sustained effort-based motivated performance. The research suggests a potential link to therapeutic strategies, including nutritional interventions, to address motivational deficits.
Research reveals that a reward should neither be too small nor too large to optimize memory encoding. The brain needs rewards to motivate us, but also challenges, and the perfect balance allows for better memory consolidation.
A comprehensive study examined how various motivations to be generous interact with one another. Researchers found that people overwhelmingly chose to be generous to others, regardless of motivation, and that all four established motivators work together in the real world.
A study from Carnegie Mellon University and Columbia Business School found that women entrepreneurs are more motivated by social impact than money, while men are more driven by financial gains. The research also revealed that individuals from altruistic cultures are more likely to respond to messages focused on social impact.
The study found that women who watched videos of themselves and their peers experienced increased autonomous motivation and self-efficacy, leading to a significant decrease in fat intake. The intervention's emphasis on coping self-efficacy also reduced participants' stress levels.
A new study by the University of Rochester and University of Toronto found that couples who accurately perceive appeasement emotions, such as embarrassment, have better relationships. In contrast, couples where either partner feels negative emotions, regardless of whether those emotions are accurately perceived, have poorer relationships.
Children perceive coercion as reducing exercise motivation, while parent-child interaction, acceptance of lack of motivation, and participation in activities increase enthusiasm. Parents can support exercise motivation by taking into account children's interests and providing flexible boundaries for screen time.
Researchers from the University of Seville found that initial motivation is related to individual differences in drop-out probability and satisfaction with the learning experience. The study suggests designing personalized learning plans based on a good initial diagnosis of students' learning intentions and motivational profiles.
Research by the American Psychological Association finds that middle-aged and older adults who disengage from mentally stimulating activities after retirement may be at increased risk of cognitive decline. Women are more likely to experience this decline than men, according to the study.
Researchers discovered that competing against an idealised avatar negatively impacts physical performance, whereas a realistic avatar increases motivation and improves outcomes. The study suggests that exergame designers should use realistic avatar customisation to enhance player experience and performance.
New research suggests that scientists who are known for their hard work, like Thomas Edison, are more motivating than those who are viewed as naturally brilliant, like Albert Einstein. The findings dispel myths about what it takes to succeed in science and can help optimize science education.
A recent study by Jackson Lu, Richard Nisbett, and Michael Morris found that East Asians are disproportionately underrepresented in US leadership positions due to relatively lower assertiveness. The research suggests that diverse leadership styles are valuable for organizations and highlights the need for recognition of these differences.
The study reveals that different classes of neurons control positive and negative motivation, sending opposing signals along a shared brain circuit. This balance determines whether an individual seeks pleasurable experiences or avoids negative ones.
A University of Waterloo study found that positive feelings about work in general and a psychological attachment to the organization are crucial for casual workers to return the following year. Job enrichment was shown to increase work engagement and organizational commitment among seasonal student workers.
Researchers developed a parametric 3D modeling methodology to mimic the geometry of individual scales from the chiton mollusk. The scale armor model provides dual protection-flexibility performance through converging inward upon one another when under force, offering varying amounts of flexibility.
A global survey of over 7,000 people from 27 countries reveals that kin care and long-term relationships are the most important motivations in life, surpassing mate seeking. People who prioritize family values tend to be more satisfied with their lives and have better well-being.
A new analysis from Texas Tech University shows two-thirds of people who sext do so for non-sexual reasons, including relationship reassurance and favor exchanges. The study found three main motivations behind sexting: foreplay, relationship reassurance, and favor exchanges.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that over half of people would be willing to donate their personal data for research. The researchers developed a new questionnaire to explore individuals' motivations, which identified three key reasons: serving society, gaining personal benefits, and understanding data purpose.
Scientists have identified genes associated with a common depression symptom: lack of motivation. This finding could lead to new diagnostic methods and targeted treatments for depression. The study uses mouse models to understand brain changes related to specific symptoms.
A recent study found that both professional esports players and recreational video game players are at risk of developing internet gaming disorder when they use gaming as a means of escapism. The study, which surveyed over 4,300 gamers, suggests that escapist tendencies can be a common predictor of gaming disorder in both groups.
A new study by Annahita Ball found that adding tablets and home Wi-Fi to students in an urban New York State school district did not increase academic motivation. Instead, it pointed to the need for schools to focus on interpersonal aspects of learning and family engagement to support student motivation.
Research suggests that restricting food intake can increase motivation to exercise in mice, potentially leading to weight loss and reduced complications like diabetes and heart disease. This could be achieved through better diet control, such as limiting mealtimes or fasting intermittently.
Researchers at the German Sport University explored the effects of full-body exergaming in VR on cardiovascular system and strength endurance. Results showed that VR-based training had little to no cardiovascular benefit but created incentives for increased physical activity, motivating users to take up exercise.
Researchers identified a neural circuit in fruit flies that controls perseverance, with dopamine and octopamine neurotransmitters playing a key role. The finding suggests that simple organisms like fruit flies exhibit stamina and perseverance, challenging the idea that these traits are unique to humans.
Researchers analyzed 1,309 gamers' playing history over 29 months, finding that varying game difficulty based on players' engagement levels increases use by 4-8%. The study suggests introducing surprises like new maps or game modes to offset decreased player curiosity.
Researchers found that abstaining from cigarettes does not affect the motivation for food and water. In fact, smokers are more willing to spend money on cigarettes than food during abstinence.
Researchers identify lateral septum as crucial link between circuits guiding goal-directed movement and motivated behavior. The study shows that the LS directly encodes information about speed and acceleration, enabling it to integrate or optimize performance across environmental signals.
A new scale assessing passion in relation to a skill has been presented in the journal New Ideas in Psychology. Passion, grit, positive mindset, and mentors are key factors in achieving success. Men tend to rely on passion and grit, while women emphasize grit and a positive mindset.
A new study found that male gender, neurotic and introverted personality traits, and motivation related to achievement are predictors of internet gaming disorder (IGD). The research highlights the importance of understanding the social context of clients' situations in developing prevention and treatment strategies for IGD.
The pending Altria-Juul deal could lead to increased e-cigarette use or less cigarette use, depending on regulations and policies. Georgetown University professor David Levy explores the motivations behind the $12.8 billion purchase and its potential impact on public health.
A new report from the University of East Anglia reveals that over-55s should prioritize physical activity to enjoy a fit and healthy retirement. The study found that many approaching retirement are in poor shape due to health problems, lack of motivation, and limited time.
A University of Arizona researcher studied motivations behind sexting and found that young women send explicit images to feel empowered or disempowered. The study highlights the complexities of sexual double standards and their impact on women's sexuality.
New research from Penn State suggests that freedom songs sung by Black women helped empower them to lead others when formal leadership positions were unavailable. These songs, which originated in the 1920s or earlier, were altered to reflect the struggles of the time and became a powerful form of resistance.