Positive and negative motivation are now common persuasive methods employed by educators, parents, and motivational speakers. Negative motivators can be used as incentives for positive behavior, rewards can often be used to encourage negative behavior. The old concept of punishment has been replaced by positive reinforcement. This new teaching method creates a highly effective motivational model. Positive motivation is the best way to get kids to do what you want them to do. The problem with traditional punishments is that they are usually based on fear and lack of communication between the teacher and child.
Let's take a look at an example using an athlete. Every time an athlete completes a certain task or goal, they are rewarded with a small incentive. For example, an athlete might be rewarded for hitting a certain number of home runs, or completing a certain number of consecutive passes. The same motivator can be applied to every student in a classroom.
When children are encouraged to succeed at something, they are engaged in a persistent effort that increases their physiological arousal (e.g. heart rate, blood oxygen, etc.). Their physiological responses then increase the "reward expectation" for success. The reward for successful completion of the task is contingent upon the student's achievement of some other key goal (e.g. successfully completing an essay question).
As mentioned earlier, our definition of "positive motivation" is contingent upon whether it is directed at a child or an adult. For example, a parent may provide cash incentives for the child who does a good job when doing chores around the house. This is positive reinforcement because the child demonstrates that they are capable of managing their house. On the other hand, a teacher may apply the same theory of positive and negative motivation by utilizing the classic hierarchy of needs' approach.
Positive and negative conditioning is the most widely used theory states that there are two distinct components of motivation: the anticipation of reward and the anticipation of loss. Positive expectancy theory states that when we receive a reward, we anticipate some form of benefit (e.g., food or money) in exchange for our cooperation. Negative expectancy theory states that we only expect a loss when we do something that is not worth the cost (e.g., completing a difficult task). People are then forced to make these calculations regarding the costs and benefits of their actions.
Positive and negative conditioning can be implemented in numerous ways. One way is to use a human resources training program as was described above. Another way is to employ theories such as the theory of grounding (the importance of internal models of competence, the need for external reference, etc. ), theory of (the power of personal worthiness, the need for self-esteem), theory of (the relationship between personality traits and occupational performance), theory of (the importance of being able to rely on one's own skills), and theory of a (personal growth orientation).
Positive and negative conditioning is also used in the HRM (Human Resource Management) field. An example of this theory is the "two factor theory" which argues that employees are not as motivated at work if they are surrounded by negative people who create high stress environments. In order to eliminate this stress, an organization must first eliminate the source of the stress, i.e., the source of negative behavior. Most of the time, eliminating the source of the stress requires replacing the source with a positive role, such as the ability to report honestly. This two-factor theory can then help managers increase employee job satisfaction and improve performance.
The two-factor theory can also be applied to a situation where an employee is motivated because of an increase in pay or a promotion. Employees may become less motivated if they are demoted or lose their position because they did not meet expectations of higher compensation. These situations call for positive motivation. If an employee feels that he or she has been unfairly selected for a promotion or position because of their gender, race, ethnic, or other qualities that are important to the organization, they may be motivated to learn new skills or acquire a new skill so that they can increase their compensation or status. Both positive and negative motivation can make a company more successful by increasing the employee motivation and enhancing overall job satisfaction.
