Why We Do What We Do by Edward L Deci

Why We Do What We Do by Edward L Deci

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

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.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780140255263
ISBN 10	0140255265
Title	Why We Do What We Do
Author	Edward L Deci
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Penguin Putnam Inc
Year published	1996-08-01
Number of pages	240
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable