Are Emotional Appeals an Effective Way of Motivation?

      What motivates people? What would make you want to win a race? Would it be the big, gold medal you would receive or the pride you would feel? Sir Ken Robinson, from TEDtalks, says,"You can't expect different people with different views to work to a goal in the same way." Some people would say that being able to rely on facts and knowing a definite outcome pushes them to reach their goals, however, not everyone is so easily persuaded. Some people feel more motivated when they can relate to the situation on an emotional level, personalizing the outcome rather than receiving a definite one, making emotional explanations more effective than rational explanations.

     If you were choosing between two universities, one admitting over 10,000 students while the other admits about 100, which university would be a more realistic choice? This is a rational explanation. It provides a reasonable interpretation of an outcome by using facts from the situation. For example, being accepted to the university admitting 10,000 students would be the possible outcome compared to the other school, motivating you to work towards the possibilities. This would classify rational explanations as "motivation by reward", meaning your devotion is effected by your opinion on the result, however, is this the best way to motivate someone? Dan Pink, from TEDtalks, says,"People are so focused on getting to their goal, they can't reach their full potential. The goal cuts away from the 'peripheral vision' of a person's mind." This being said, how can we make sure we reach our goals to our best abilities?

      Motivating someone in a general aspect can be very effective, however, how can you change the motives to fit a specific person? Unlike a rational explanation, emotional explanations are used to alter someone's opinion psychologically. The most common method of emotional persuasion is manipulation or using guilt. Manipulation is influencing someone to accommodate your purpose. For example, when your mother tells you to clean the house or you will not be able to spend time with your friends. This connects to the person on a personal level. It convinces you that to do something that makes you happy, you must finish that task first. You give them what they want in return for what you want. In this situation, you have been successfully convinced to do something because it will benefit you as well. That is why emotional explanations are more effective to motivate someone.

      The biggest difference between rational and emotional explanations is the outcome. While rational explanations have a definite outcome, emotional explanations must vary to fit the characteristics of the person being influenced. Sir Ken Robinson, from TEDtalks, says,"You can't expect different people with different views to work to a goal in the same way." Though both rational and emotional explanations are effective ways to motivate someone, facts cannot convince everyone to change their ways. People have a stronger appeal to emotional satisfaction than to being “scientifically correct”.

      Overall, characteristics, ideas, and emotion play an important part in people's actions, making emotional explanations are stronger, more reliable way to motivate someone. People want to know their opinion on the outcome rather than depending on the facts they are told. Creating an emotional connection with the situation and the motivator helps others push themselves towards the goal.