Motivation

We have already talked a little about motivation under “Accountability” and “A Goal Must Be Achievable”.
The best motivations in life are the natural ones. One of the biggest mistakes in behavioral therapy is the substitution of natural consequences or rewards for ones which are contrived. An example of this would be teaching a child with a developmental disability how to appropriate request a hug and then rewarding the request with an M & M. While this sounds absurd, this and similar things happen all the time. How many people reward their own weight loss with a treat of some kind?
Sometimes contrived consequences/rewards can be effective when used as an interim reward, as long as the ultimate reward/consequence is natural. For example, when reading a text book in preparation for a test, you may reward yourself with a slice of orange for every section you get through; however, it is unlikely that the reward for doing well on the test or getting an A in the class will be a box of oranges. More natural rewards are going to be more in line with a feeling of accomplishment, completing another step towards the degree, completing the degree, getting a good job, etc.