Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation - Paperback

Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation - Paperback

$19.00


by Edward L. Deci (Author), Richard Flaste (Author)

What motivates us as students, employees, and individuals?

If you reward your children for doing their homework, they will usually respond by getting it done. But is this the most effective method of motivation? No, says psychologist Edward L. Deci, who challenges traditional thinking and shows that this method actually works against performance. The best way to motivate people--at school, at work, or at home--is to support their sense of autonomy. Explaining the reasons why a task is important and then allowing as much personal freedom as possible in carrying out the task will stimulate interest and commitment, and is a much more effective approach than the standard system of reward and punishment. We are all inherently interested in the world, argues Deci, so why not nurture that interest in each other? Instead of asking, "How can I motivate people?" we should be asking, "How can I create the conditions within which people will motivate themselves?"

"An insightful and provocative meditation on how people can become more genuinely engaged and succesful in pursuing their goals." --Publisher's Weekly

Author Biography

Edward L. Deci, Ph.D., professor of pyschology at the University of Rochester, is director of its human motivation program.
Richard Flaste, former Science and Health Editor of The New York Times, led the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 1987.

Number of Pages: 240
Dimensions: 0.46 x 7.94 x 5.06 IN
Publication Date: August 01, 1996
Shop Pay Continue Shopping

Estimated delivery: June 11 - June 14, 2026

Secure Checkout

Free Returns

Proudly USA Based

Accepted Payment Methods

American Express
Apple Pay
Diners Club
Discover
Google Pay
Mastercard
PayPal
Shop Pay
Visa