Title: The Incentive Theory of Motivation
Headings: The Incentive Theory of Motivation
The Incentive Theory of Motivation
History of the Incentive Theory
How Does Incentive Theory Work?
Why Some Incentives Are More Motivating Than Others
A Word From Verywell

Content: There are many different reasons why people do things. Sometimes people are motivated to act because of internal desires and wishes, but at other times, behaviors are driven by a desire for external rewards. According to one theory of human motivation, actions are often inspired by a desire to gain outside reinforcement. The incentive theory is one of the major theories of motivation and suggests that behavior is motivated by a desire for reinforcement or incentives. Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell
History of the Incentive Theory
Incentive theory began to emerge during the 1940s and 1950s, building on the earlier drive theories established by psychologists such as Clark Hull. Rather than focusing on more intrinsic forces behind motivation, the incentive theory proposes that people are pulled toward behaviors that lead to rewards and pushed away from actions that might lead to negative consequences. Two people may act in different ways in the same situation based entirely on the types of incentives that are available to them at that time. You can probably think of many different situations where your behavior was directly influenced by the promise of a reward or punishment. Perhaps you studied for an exam in order to get a good grade, ran a marathon in order to receive recognition, or took a new position at work in order to get a raise. All of these actions were influenced by an incentive to gain something in return for your efforts.