The Motivating Power of Social Values
Social rewards can be more motivating than market rewards
How can we best motivate people to change their behavior? Researchers tested whether social rewards would better motivate behavior than financial or market rewards. Multiple studies found that when a reward to motivate helping behavior is presented in economic terms, people expect to help more as the value increases. But when the reward is more social than economic, the value of the reward matters less to how much people are willing to help, as they are helping as part of a social contract and not a market contract. This research reminds us that social values and norms such as helping others can motivate people toward positive behavior change in ways that can be crucial to effective programming.
Changing a Social Penalty into a Market Penalty Can Reduce Compliance
What happens when we replace a social norm to do something positive with a financial or market penalty for not doing it? Researchers found that when a daycare center fined parents for picking their children up late, parents were more likely to be late, as they perceived that being late had a market value and had become a service they could pay for instead of a social value and a violation of social norms. Once being late had a market value, it did not revert back to having a social value. Even with the fine removed, people were still more likely to be late than before. This research highlights the danger of replacing more powerful social norms in favor of compliance with financial decisions about the cost of non-compliance.
Want to learn more about understanding and using social forces to influence behavior? Check out USAID’s Social and Behavior Change Practitioner’s Guide!
Do you have a study we should share for a future Facty Friday? Send an email to drg.el@usaid.gov