Simple gratitude interventions have previously been found to enhance happiness, satisfaction, self-control, health and resilience.
Simple gratitude interventions have previously been found to enhance happiness, satisfaction, self-control, health and resilience.
A simple gratitude exercise helps to boost people’s motivation.
People who listed five things to be grateful for each day over a period of six days displayed significantly increased motivation.
Despite only completing the gratitude exercise for less than a week, the boost to motivation lasted at least three months.
Simple gratitude interventions have previously been found to enhance happiness, satisfaction, self-control, health and resilience.
Dr Norberto Eiji Nawa, the study’s first author, said:
“Our main hypothesis was that engaging in an online gratitude journal by writing down up to five things one felt grateful for each day could make students be more aware of their academic opportunities–their ‘blessings’–and help them re-evaluate their motives and goals, ultimately improving their motivation.”
For the study, 84 Japanese college students were split into a control and intervention group.
Over six days, the intervention group were prompted to list five things they were grateful for.
This was done online to make it more accessible, explained Professor Noriko Yamagishi, study co-author:
“Online interventions have the advantage of being more accessible, scalable and affordable to large portions of the population.
Gathering solid evidence to support their deployment will be essential to unleash their true potential in the future.”
Students who did the gratitude exercise felt increased motivation for at least three months afterwards.
The boost was mainly driven by a reduction in helplessness and incompetence.
When the students felt that they could make a difference to their results by putting in some effort, it helped boost their motivation.
Gratitude motivates others
Not only does gratitude help motivate the self, it can also help motivate others.
When we say ‘thank you’ to others, it can also act as a powerful motivator for them to help us again.
It could be as simple as sending a thank you email when someone has helped you out.
A gratitude study found that a thank you email doubled the number of people willing to help in the future:
“…the effect of ‘thank you’ was quite substantial: while only 32% of participants receiving the neutral email helped with the second letter, when Eric expressed his gratitude, this went up to 66%.”
Motivation can stay at maximum all day long, research finds.
Motivation can stay at maximum all day long, research finds.
The key to keeping your motivation at maximum is switching tasks.
Most people’s motivation and performance starts to dip after doing a difficult task for around 30 minutes.
As people get closer to one hour on a task, there is very noticeable drop in performance.
However, if people switch tasks, their self-control is less limited than many believe.
Dr Dan Randles, the study’s first author, said:
“While people get tired doing one specific task over a period of time, we found no evidence that they had less motivation or ability to complete tasks throughout the day.”
Self-control means doing a task that doesn’t reward you immediately, Dr Randles said:
“It’s doing something not because you enjoy it, but because it’s connected to a larger goal and you want to see it through.”
The conclusions come from a study in which over 16,000 people were given a difficult memory task to do at different times of day.
The results showed that people had the same motivation throughout the day.
Psychologists have generally thought that motivation decreases over the day as people’s self-control wears down or is exhausted.
Dr Randles said:
“This doesn’t mean all studies on self-control are wrong, but at least for that one, attempts to replicate it have found no evidence for the effect.
Our results are consistent with theories showing that people lose motivation within a specific task, but at odds with theories that argue self-control is general resource that can be exhausted.”
Dr Iain Harlow, study co-author, thinks the research shows why short, effortful bursts can be so effective in cementing learning:
“This finding is especially important for intellectually demanding tasks like learning.
It fits with research showing that you remember more of what you learn when you review it frequently but in short bursts.”
Dr Randles concluded:
“The fact participants got worse at a single task speaks to how effortful they found it, and despite the difficulty, we found no evidence whatsoever that their ability or motivation decreased up until the point they got tired late at night.”
There is one thing that you need to develop an exercise habit that sticks that many people inexplicably discount.
There is one thing that you need to develop an exercise habit that sticks that many people inexplicably discount.
Exercise is a difficult habit to pick up.
It is not enough just to set aside a particular period in the day and rely on willpower to follow through.
Part of the reason is that people don’t necessarily start exercising because they enjoy it.
Instead, they start exercising to lose weight or look better.
When the changes are minimal, or not what they had hoped for, then it is easy to give up.
Internal rewards key to exercise habit
Research finds that one key to getting the exercise habit is tapping in to intrinsic rewards.
Intrinsic rewards are things like the pleasure we get from the activity itself.
This could be through socialising with others, the endorphin rush, or something else.
When intrinsic, internal rewards are linked up with a particular, regular slot in the day for exercising, then the habit can flourish in the long term.
Finding the missing key, then, is all about identifying those highly personal intrinsic rewards.
What is it about the exercise that makes you feel good?
If the answer is nothing, then it is time to think about different types of exercise that do make you feel good.
For example, gyms are not for everyone, some people prefer to play sports in teams, others prefer exercising alone.
Some people like rigid goals and structure, others prefer a more free-form approach.
Find your pleasure and the habit is much more likely to stick.
Dr Alison Phillips, who led the research, said:
“If someone doesn’t like to exercise it’s always going to take convincing.
People are more likely to stick with exercise if they don’t have to deliberate about whether or not to do it.
If exercise is not habit, then it’s effortful and takes resources from other things you might also want to be doing.
That’s why people give it up.”
The study was published in the journal Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (Phillips et al., 2016).
Discover how self-efficacy influences your success and learn practical strategies to boost your confidence and achieve your goals.
Self-efficacy is the belief in your ability to accomplish specific tasks or overcome challenges.
Understanding self-efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to the confidence a person has in their ability to perform actions necessary to achieve desired outcomes.
It is a key component of motivation, influencing how people think, behave, and feel.
First introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura in 1977, self-efficacy is central to his social cognitive theory.
It affects the choices individuals make, the effort they put into tasks, and their resilience in the face of difficulties.
Self-efficacy differs from general self-confidence in its specificity; it relates to belief in one’s ability to perform specific tasks rather than a broad sense of self-worth.
Individuals with high self-efficacy are more likely to embrace challenges, persist in the face of failure, and achieve their goals.
Theoretical foundations
Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory emphasises the interplay between personal factors, behaviour, and environmental influences.
According to Bandura, self-efficacy beliefs determine how people approach goals and challenges.
There is a strong link between self-efficacy and locus of control.
While self-efficacy focuses on perceived competence, locus of control relates to whether individuals believe outcomes are controlled by their own actions or external forces.
Self-efficacy also intersects with growth mindset theories, which emphasise that abilities can be developed through effort and learning.
Factors influencing self-efficacy
Several key factors shape self-efficacy beliefs.
Mastery experiences – Successfully completing a task strengthens belief in one’s abilities. Repeated failures, conversely, can lower self-efficacy.
Vicarious experiences (social modelling) – Observing others succeed can boost self-efficacy, especially when the observer identifies with the model.
Social persuasion – Encouragement from others can enhance self-efficacy, particularly when delivered by trusted individuals.
Physiological and emotional states – Managing stress and emotions can influence self-efficacy, as calmness is often associated with confidence.
Additionally, cultural and social contexts play a role.
Societies that value individual achievement may foster different self-efficacy dynamics compared to collectivist cultures, where communal success is prioritised.
Impact of self-efficacy on behaviour
Self-efficacy significantly influences human behaviour and decision-making.
It affects the goals people set, the risks they are willing to take, and how persistently they pursue objectives.
High self-efficacy is linked to proactive behaviour and a willingness to face challenges.
Some key behavioural impacts include:
Improved decision-making – Confident individuals trust their judgments and are more likely to make sound decisions.
Increased resilience – Those with strong self-efficacy are more likely to recover from setbacks and maintain motivation.
Self-efficacy also affects emotional regulation, allowing individuals to manage stress more effectively when faced with difficulties.
Research shows that people with strong self-efficacy tend to adopt healthier coping mechanisms, further reinforcing positive outcomes.
Measuring self-efficacy
Several scales have been developed to measure self-efficacy.
The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) assesses overall confidence in handling a variety of situations.
The New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE) provides an updated measure, offering a broader perspective.
These tools are widely used in research and practical applications to evaluate self-efficacy across different contexts.
Additional context-specific scales are often used to measure self-efficacy in academic performance, workplace productivity, and health management.
Enhancing self-efficacy
Improving self-efficacy requires deliberate strategies that focus on building confidence and skills.
Consider these methods:
Set realistic goals – Start with small, attainable tasks to build a track record of success.
Learn from role models – Identify individuals who have achieved similar goals and observe their strategies.
Seek constructive feedback – Positive reinforcement and specific guidance can strengthen belief in your abilities.
Manage emotions – Practising mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques helps maintain calm and confidence.
Visualise success – Mental rehearsal of successful outcomes can boost confidence in real-life situations.
Engaging in self-reflection and recognising past successes can also reinforce positive self-efficacy beliefs.
Building a supportive environment that celebrates progress and encourages persistence is another powerful way to enhance self-efficacy.
Applications of self-efficacy
Self-efficacy has broad applications in various life areas, including education, work, and health.
In educational settings, students with high self-efficacy are more motivated and perform better academically.
Teachers can foster this by providing supportive feedback and encouraging autonomy.
Creating learning environments that allow for trial and error without fear of failure can also boost students’ self-efficacy.
In the workplace, employees with strong self-efficacy are more productive, innovative, and better at problem-solving.
Managers can enhance workplace efficacy by setting clear expectations, recognising achievements, and offering professional development.
Encouraging peer mentoring and collaborative work can further strengthen team-wide self-efficacy.
In health behaviours, individuals with strong self-efficacy are more likely to adopt and maintain healthy habits, such as regular exercise or quitting smoking.
Healthcare providers can improve patient outcomes by educating and empowering them to take control of their health decisions.
Support groups and community health initiatives often leverage self-efficacy principles to foster sustainable behaviour change.
Challenges and criticisms
Despite its benefits, the concept of self-efficacy is not without criticism.
Some researchers argue that it oversimplifies the complexity of human motivation and behaviour.
Others highlight potential drawbacks, such as overconfidence leading to underestimation of risks.
Additionally, cultural differences can influence how self-efficacy is perceived and developed, making it a less universal construct than initially proposed.
Variations in socioeconomic status, gender roles, and educational access also impact the formation and strength of self-efficacy beliefs.
Future directions in self-efficacy research
Research into self-efficacy continues to evolve.
Emerging studies are exploring its relationship with other psychological constructs, such as grit and emotional intelligence.
There is also growing interest in the role of technology, including virtual reality and online learning platforms, in enhancing self-efficacy.
Further exploration into how social media influences self-efficacy, particularly among younger populations, represents a promising area for future investigation.
Future research will likely focus on creating more tailored interventions to boost self-efficacy across diverse populations and contexts.
Longitudinal studies that track self-efficacy changes over time will provide deeper insights into its developmental aspects.
Conclusion
Self-efficacy is a powerful determinant of motivation, behaviour, and success.
Understanding its foundations, influences, and applications can help individuals achieve personal growth and overcome challenges.
By adopting strategies to enhance self-efficacy, people can build the confidence needed to pursue their goals and improve their quality of life.
Investing in self-efficacy is a lifelong endeavour that offers lasting benefits in personal, professional, and social domains.
