How to motivate people to do good for others | Erez Yoeli | TEDxCambridge.

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10 Dec 202207:35
EducationalLearning
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TLDRResearch scientist Alixandra Barasch discusses how to motivate people to do more good deeds and generous acts. She recommends a three-step approach: increase observability so people get credit for good deeds; eliminate excuses that prevent action; and communicate expectations that doing good is normal behavior. By harnessing reputations and social norms, these tools tap into people's desire to be seen as generous without requiring more funds or technology.

Takeaways
  • 😊 The talk discusses ways to motivate people to do more good deeds like giving to charity or being environmentally conscious.
  • 💡Small changes in how we frame requests for help can significantly increase participation rates. For example, using sign-up sheets rather than a hotline to enroll in a program tripled participation.
  • 🌟 We can leverage people's desire to be seen as generous by making their good deeds more observable to others. This taps into reputation concerns.
  • 🚀 Increasing observability of good deeds turns on people's intrinsic desire to do good.
  • ✅ Provide fewer excuses for people not to do the good deed, by persistently following up if they don't take action.
  • ❤️ Communicate social expectations that most others are already engaging in the good deed. People tend to follow norms.
  • 📝 The speaker provides a simple 3-item checklist for motivating good deeds: increase observability, eliminate excuses, and communicate expectations.
  • 🔬 These motivation tools harness reputations and do not require more funds or technology.
  • 🙌The techniques have been used successfully to increase blood donations, tax payments, eco-friendly purchases, medication adherence, and more.
  • 🤝 The tools can help motivate people to address problems with important social benefits.
Q & A

  • What is the main idea of the talk?

    -The main idea is to use a 3-pronged approach to motivate people to do more good - increase observability of good deeds, eliminate excuses, and communicate expectations.

  • What was the initial problem the speaker was trying to solve?

    -The speaker was trying to get more people to sign up for a program by an energy company that prevents blackouts by reducing energy demand during peak times.

  • How did the speaker increase participation in the energy company's program?

    -By changing the sign up method from calling a hotline to using physical sign up sheets near mailboxes that made the act of signing up more observable to others.

  • What is the first item on the checklist to motivate people to do good?

    -The first item is to increase observability - make sure people's good deeds can be seen by others.

  • How can increasing observability turn on people's desire to do good?

    -When a decision becomes more observable, people start to care more about the opportunity to do good and to be seen as generous by others.

  • What is an example of eliminating excuses given in the talk?

    -In the TB medication adherence program, multiple reminders are sent if a patient does not log their medication intake to eliminate excuses and get them back on track.

  • What is the third item on the checklist to motivate people?

    -The third item is to communicate expectations - tell people that the desired good deed is what most people are doing already.

  • How can tools that harness reputations help motivate people?

    -By increasing observability of good deeds, eliminating excuses not to do them, and setting the expectation that most people already engage in these deeds.

  • What does the speaker say is NOT needed to implement these motivational tools?

    -The speaker says these tools do not require raising additional funds or developing new technologies.

  • Where was this TEDx talk recorded?

    -This talk was recorded at a TEDx event in Boston, Massachusetts.

Outlines
00:00
📺 How small tweaks in messaging can motivate people to do good

This paragraph explains how small changes in how we frame requests for charitable acts, like switching from a private signup to a public sheet, can dramatically increase participation. By making good deeds more observable and eliminating excuses not to participate, we can tap into people's existing desire to be seen as generous.

05:01
👩‍⚕️ Using persistent communication and social support to help TB patients complete treatment

This paragraph discusses a mobile health startup called kahila that helps TB patients stick to their challenging 6-month antibiotic treatment. By texting frequent reminders and requiring patients to verify they've taken medication, excuses are eliminated. If patients still don't comply after multiple texts, a support team calls to get them back on track.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡virtue signaling
Virtue signaling refers to the act of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments that demonstrate one's good character or moral correctness. In the video, the host mentions that posting about charitable work on social media is often seen as virtue signaling. However, the speaker argues that we should actually encourage this behavior to motivate more good deeds.
💡observability
Observability means how visible or noticeable an action is to others. The speaker explains that increasing the observability of good deeds, like signing up to prevent blackouts, makes people more likely to do them because they care about maintaining a generous reputation.
💡reputations
Reputations refer to how people are perceived by others based on their past actions. The speaker recommends harnessing the power of reputations to motivate good deeds by making actions more observable and eliminating excuses.
💡eliminate excuses
The speaker argues we need to anticipate and eliminate potential excuses people may make to avoid doing good deeds. For example, TB patients are asked to verify taking medication to prevent excuses about forgetting.
💡communicate expectations
Telling people directly that a good deed is expected or that others are doing it already can increase motivation. For example, learning neighbors are conserving energy encourages more electricity conservation.
💡checklist
The speaker provides a 3-item checklist for motivating good deeds: increase observability of the action, eliminate excuses people can make, and communicate expectations that doing the deed is normative.
💡social consequences
The speaker notes many are working on problems with important social consequences. The checklist of reputation tools can help motivate people to take actions that address these problems.
💡verify
To eliminate excuses, the speaker recommends asking people to verify they have completed a good deed like taking medication. Following up multiple times by phone or text if they do not verify.
💡wagon
Getting "back on the wagon" refers to resuming a good habit like TB treatment after having lapsed. Calling patients helps get them back on track with no excuses.
💡harnessing
Harnessing means strategically utilizing something's power or strength to one's advantage. The speaker talks about harnessing reputations to motivate more good deeds in society.
Highlights

Small changes that give people more credit for doing good can make a really big difference.

When trying to get people to do more good, we harness the power of reputations.

Increasing observability makes sure people find out about good deeds.

When their decision is more observable, people start to attend more to the opportunity to do good.

Observability has been used to get people to donate blood more frequently.

Toyota got people to buy more fuel-efficient cars by making the Prius observable from a mile away.

We need to eliminate excuses thoroughly because people are very creative in making them.

If TB patients don't verify taking medication, supporters call and text to get them back on track.

Communicating expectations tells people to do the good deed right now.

When people find their neighbors using less electricity, they start to consume less.

The same approach has increased voting, charity donations, and towel reuse.

These tools harness reputations by increasing observability, eliminating excuses, and communicating expectations.

The tools don't require more funds or technologies, just harnessing reputations.

TEDx events are independently organized to spread ideas worth spreading.

Find the full talk, resources, and more at ted.com/tedx.

Transcripts

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