Content about Experimental psychology

February 16, 2012
New Article: Reward in Real Time

Robert Vetere, author of “From Wags to Riches,” explores the human-animal bond and looks at moving from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation for both dogs and people. In the business world, he says, intrinsic motivation is widely believed to be the key to employee engagement and one way to ensure people get the highest degree of satisfaction from their work.

 

By Robert Vetere

When you train a puppy, you say, “Good dog!” and immediately hold out a treat. If you wait too long, you lose your chance to reinforce good behavior. This principle is important to remember when you’re training employees, as well. The best management advice I have to offer: Don’t wait for the end-of-the-year annual review. Instead hand out your treats on the spot.

February 15, 2012
Reward in Real Time

Robert Vetere, author of “From Wags to Riches,” explores the human-animal bond and looks at moving from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation for both dogs and people. In the business world, he says, intrinsic motivation is widely believed to be the key to employee engagement and one way to ensure people get the highest degree of satisfaction from their work.

By Robert Vetere

When you train a puppy, you say, “Good dog!” and immediately hold out a treat. If you wait too long, you lose your chance to reinforce good behavior. This principle is important to remember when you’re training employees, as well. The best management advice I have to offer: Don’t wait for the end-of-the-year annual review. Instead hand out your treats on the spot.

January 26, 2012
Rethinking the Games People Play

Applying game sciences to recognition and performance improvement programs is much more than just creating a game. It’s essentially a way of creating a series of interlocking and customizable experiences that enrich a relationship with a brand or company. Gamification is about finding new ways to appeal to the basic human drives that motivate us every day.

By Jerry Klein, Senior Solution Design Strategist, Maritz Motivation Solutions

We live in a world increasingly obsessed with games. From celebrity athletes performing before worshipful throngs to teenage boys lost in World of Warcraft, games engage and delight all ages. Businesses can capitalize on this trend toward play. Applying the mechanics of gaming to non-game activities can help to engage people in new and exciting ways.

November 23, 2011
Talent Tips: Making Learning Fun

VThere is a lot of talk about gamification today and how we can use it in business—with consumers, as well as with our employees. But what about learning? Bill and Melinda Gates think gamification can make a difference in how children can learn. They recently opened their foundation purse strings and invested $20 million partially toward developing innovative digital and game-based learning tools for children in the U.S.

By Roy Saunderson

Are there really benefits to using rewards and recognition through games to help individuals learn more effectively?

There is a lot of talk about gamification today and how we can use it in business—with consumers, as well as with our employees.

But what about learning?

August 3, 2011
Engagement Training for Leaders

Once leaders have bought into the importance of the four key intrinsic rewards—sense of meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress—and have validated this framework against their own experience, you then can shift the focus to the intrinsic rewards their direct reports are receiving, and what the leader can do to provide the building blocks for those rewards.

By Kenneth W. Thomas, Ph.D.

July 25, 2011
Last Word: Motivating Factors

Instead of guessing what motivates individual employees, managers should start out by asking them. On an individual basis, explore what is important to each contributor. What are their goals? Which tasks and responsibilities would they prefer? What could the manager do to make their jobs more fulfilling?

By Michael Rosenthal

Q: I am a Training manager supporting our organization’s largest business unit. Given the economy, we haven’t been able to offer much in terms of bonuses and other perks in recent years. My client has asked me to teach managers how to motivate their staff in the absence of those perks, and I’m out of ideas. Any advice?

July 25, 2011
Why Doesn’t Cash Motivate...

If money is the root of all evil, is it also the root of all motivation? When talking about workplace performance and training, the experts’ consensus is a resounding “No.”

By Lorri Freifeld

If money is the root of all evil, is it also the root of all motivation? When talking about workplace performance and training, the experts’ consensus is a resounding “No.”

First, a look at some research:

March 24, 2011
Talent Tips: Changing Minds

Getting everyone to change personal beliefs about employee recognition is hard to do but essential if you want people to appreciate employee contributions.  I often use the words, “Beliefs—Behaviors—Results,” in a PowerPoint slide or on flip charts to help people understand the power and differences of recognition and rewards.

By Roy Saunderson

Getting everyone to change personal beliefs about employee recognition is hard to do but essential if you want people to appreciate employee contributions.

For many years when giving workshops on how to be more effective and authentic in giving employee recognition, I often used the words, “Beliefs—Behaviors—Results,” in a PowerPoint slide or on flip charts to help participants understand the power and differences of recognition and rewards.