Emotion through Progress

Description:

Motivator 2: Progress is the extrinsic human motivator. Human beings are naturally motivated to grow themselves to the person they want to be. The modern society also emphasizes on the importance of achievements in life. In other words, this motivation is quite powerful because it is widespread. Even just the perception of progress is enough to leverage this motivation.

Progress 2: Progress on the motivation map

Strength:

·       Complement creativity if used sparingly

·       Keeping the mind active at all times

·       Addictive dopamine surge at the point of accomplishment

Weaknesses:

·       If used a lot, it easily takes over all intrinsic motivations

·       If used in the wrong way, it creates empty achievements

·       Easily demotivate if the task is too hard, too easy or perceived to be inconsequential

Relationship with other motivators:

.     Motivator 3: Freedom and Creativity wear the brain down very quickly because being creative uses a lot of energy. Unless Motivator 2 can be used to extend the time of immersion and creativity. During the creative process, baby goals and accomplishments can be designed to activate small bursts of dopamine every few minutes so that the brain does not get tired easily. By that I mean, when motivator 2 and 3 are used together in perfect harmony, it will keep them engaged for a long time.

.     The motivational effects of Motivator 8: Fear can be nullified by Motivator 2: Progress. To overcome fear and anxiety in one area, you can accomplish something meaningful in another area. Increasing progress and accomplishments create confidence which in turn calms the mind. Yet Motivator 2 can also be used to enhance fear. Fear of losing progress or fear of losing the meaning of accomplishments (reputation) are powerful motivators which compel humans to take immediate action. 

.     Motivator 2 can be used to increase the emotive force of Motivator 1: Narrative. Humans like to hear success stories of triumph in the face of great adversity due to diligent effort. It is because success stories activate positive feelings of optimism in the brain. 

Psychological Techniques:

·       Progress Bar – Just the presence of a simple progress bar encourage us to fill it as soon as possible because we hate to leave things unfinished. However, not all progress bars are motivating. You must creatively combine different the reinforcement schedules in the right way to avoid any period of boredom or else it can easily be ignored.

·       Leaderboard – This is the game technique most people think about when they hear of gamification. Like all things in life, it is never simple enough to slap a leaderboard and expect it to motivate people magically. Most leaderboards are demotivating because comparing yourself with the top 3 in the leaderboard never feels good. Therefore you have to design it in such a way that they feel hopeful of striking the top position. One way is to create a refreshing leaderboard in which it clear itself after a period of time so everyone can take a shot at it.

·       Trophies – Don’t reward trophies for simple tasks. Reward them only after the user has finished a difficult task. Then allow them to display their achievements on their profile. Providing the community data of how rarely the trophies are achieved will motivate him even more to get them.

·       Boss challenges – Every now and then ask the target to participate in a challenging task that is slightly beyond their ability like a boss fight. The word ‘slightly’ is the key here. It has to be hard enough for them to be using everything they know but not too hard that they find it impossible. Give them a good reward if they succeed and encourage them to try again if failed.

·       Celebrity Status – Those who have become a master deserve to become a celebrity among the community. Pick the ones who are doing exceedingly well and put them as a role model for others to worship. Afterwards, ask those masters to mentor the struggling peers. Not only will this provide a sense of importance for the mentor, the mentees will also be happy to learn from someone who is far better they are.