How to stay motivated: what the research says
Motivation here means how much you want to do a task: your interest, engagement or confidence that you can do it, measured as the main outcome. These are the actions and rules that studies have tested, rated by how sure the research is and how much they helped.
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HelpedGoals
Tailored feedback and matched booklets may get more adults active
150 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
MixedMotivation
A six-week diabetes program helped people feel more able in four of eight skills
46 people · Randomised · 3 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
Praise raised motivation; expected rewards for a task cut time on it afterwards
14 studies pooled · 918 people · 2 tools tested
HelpedFocus
Telling students it tested intelligence had mixed effects on how long they kept going
145 people · 1 tool tested
MixedMotivation
Money paid after puzzles cut free time on them; praise helped only men
96 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
No differenceMotivation
Paying for a task may cut later free time; praise may keep it up
56 people · 2 tools tested
No differenceMotivation
Four stress or communication sessions didn't clearly make teachers feel more engaged at work
182 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
A tailored drinking app made young people keener to drink less, but they didn't
1,767 people · Randomised · 3 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
Students liked weekly quiz games more than the same quizzes on paper
131 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
Online breastfeeding lessons with an expert on call raised first-time mothers' drive to breastfeed
64 people · Randomised · 1 tool tested
HelpedMotivation
A six-week group course made emergency nurses more engaged at work for three months
122 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
Weekly goal cards, checklists and notes made students more keen to learn
600 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
A career app with AI tips came with more drive to learn than paper
120 people · Randomised · 3 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
Written AI feedback made students feel more skilled at basketball than a coach's tips
240 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
Medical students said classes taught by fellow students kept them more interested
60 people · Randomised · 1 tool used
HelpedMotivation
Dental students who could ask ChatGPT while they learned from videos felt more motivated
187 people · Randomised · 1 tool tested
No differenceMotivation
Building pictures from shapes made coding lessons no more fun than steering a turtle
145 people · Randomised
MixedMotivation
Group talks on values and strengths briefly made study more fun than calm-down sessions
139 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
An AI maths tutor that adjusted to each student raised interest and test scores
602 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
Relaxed, try-and-fix music lessons made students feel more creative, but the paper is weak
912 people · Randomised · 3 tools tested
No differenceMotivation
Teaching study and planning skills lifted motivation briefly, but not a year later
100 people · Randomised · 3 tools tested
HelpedMotivation
Writing about regret made students want a flu shot more, but not get one
263 people · Randomised · 1 tool tested
HelpedMotivation
Quick feedback while reading helped adults get more into what they read
500 people · Randomised · 2 tools tested
No differenceMotivation
A web course for PE teachers didn't get students to plan or try more
115 people · Randomised
