Tools- of Changes

Carrot or stick: Which is better motivation to exercise more?

 A combination of carrot and stick appears to work best for increasing activity levels.

In one experiment with 97 volunteers, psychologist David de Buisonjé assigned participants to one of two treatment groups. Either they received money for being 20% more active, or they deposited money and were told they would only get it back if they achieved the goal. 100% of those who received the incentive participated, but only 62% of those paying the deposit participated.

In a second experiment with 137 other participants, he let participants decide how much money to deposit, and they could double the deposit amount by achieving the goal. This resulted in a 60% increase in activity levels. 

In a third experiment, he looked at 70,000 participants taking part in a six-week challenge using the commecial StepBet app. Participants paid a $40 deposit, which could be earned back along with a bonus. Those who reached their goals increased their activity levels by 44%, but those who didn't decreased their activity levels by 5%.