How an Us-Versus-Them Attitude is Key to Motivation

IMG_2275 by Morgan RindenganI’m very competitive. Now, I can be a good sport about losing (most of the time), but if I’m told I can’t do something, or that I’m bad at an activity, then I’m dead set to prove the person wrong.

This drive to prove another wrong is something recently studied by researchers at the University of Exeter, Amherst College, and the University of Stirling. In their study, they found that people increase performances after receiving external criticisms in an effort to prove critics wrong.

“Careful management of performance following failure is of key importance in a range of areas such as sport and business,” said lead author Dr. Tim Rees of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Exeter. “The study shows that simple, low cost, measures that exploit the effects of intergroup dynamics can reverse downward performance spirals by encouraging a ‘them and us’ mentality.”

Study participants threw darts blindfolded and then received feedback from a university researcher or an external researcher. Participants who received feedback from the university researcher acted on what they heard: if it was bad, they threw badly during the next attempt; if it was good, they had better aim. However, feedback from external researchers was a different story. Praise from them did not help, and criticism caused them to want to prove the external researchers wrong.

“Downward performance spirals can be readily observed in every domain of human performance,” said co-author Jessica Salvatore of Amherst College. “Our research shows that the ‘us-versus-them’ mindset isn’t always a destructive force – sometimes it can be the key to re-motivating yourself and turning your performance around.”

“The research not only highlights ways to improve performance but also demonstrates the positive and negative impact that encouragement and criticism from fellow group members can have,” said co-author Pete Coffee from the University of Stirling. “This work points to the need for people like sports coaches and business leaders to think carefully about the way they deliver performance-related feedback.”

Now that you know one of my motivation secrets, please let me know one of yours. How does criticism affect your performance?

(Story materials from the University of Exeter. Image via Flickr: Morgan Rindengan/Creative Commons.)

Send to Kindle