This experiment suggested a third motivator which became the basis of Motivation 3.0: intrinsic motivation. In fact, when raisins were introduced into the experiment to reward the monkeys for their efforts, they became flustered and actually took more time to solve the puzzle. To the scientist’s great surprise, the monkeys actually started solving the puzzle without any external motivating factors. Harlow conducted an experiment on eight rhesus monkeys who were given a mechanical puzzle to solve. In the mid-20th century however, a third motivator was discovered. The only way to motivate us, according to Motivation 2.0, is by using carrots and sticks.

This focus on reward and punishment suggests, however, that humans are no different than work horses. To this day, many corporate environments still operate around this notion of reward and punishment. To allow for smooth functioning, it was decided to reward the behaviors one wished to encourage, and punish the behaviors that were harmful to business practices. This approach saw workers as cogs in a complicated societal machine. In the 1900s, scientific management was invented by Frederick Winslow Taylor. After all, this is when modern legal and corporate systems were created. During this time, it was commonly accepted that people were motivated by seeking rewards and avoiding punishments. Once those needs had been taken care of and humans started forming more complex societies, the operating system got an upgrade as well - call it Motivation 2.0. In terms of the operating systems of society, this was Motivation 1.0.

Feeling low? Get ready to rediscover your motivation! What motivates us?įor most of human history, humans were motivated by basic survival needs such as finding food, water, a safe place to stay and procreating. Pink looks into the true motivating factors in life. What motivates us to give our absolute best at work? To continue to strive for improvement, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable hurdles? Contrary to popular belief, extrinsic motivation such as pay raises do little to foster commitment.

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