Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...

Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation

Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation

Incentive theory, or the "pull theory" of motivation, suggests that external rewards primarily drive behavior. Individuals are motivated to engage in activities when they anticipate a desirable outcome. This is why people often work hard for promotions or study intensively to achieve high grades. These incentives can be tangible, physical rewards such as money or promotions, or intangible, non-physical rewards like praise and social recognition.
The theory differentiates between...

Self-Discrepancy Theory

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.

Motivational Bias

Motivational Bias

Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...

Drive-Reduction Theory: Push Theory of Motivation

Drive-Reduction Theory: Push Theory of Motivation

Clark Hull's drive-reduction theory, introduced in the 1940s and 1950s and often termed the "push theory" of motivation, provides a framework for understanding how biological and learned drives influence behavior. Hull suggested that motivation originates from the need to alleviate physiological tension caused by unmet biological necessities. The theory proposes that when a basic need, such as hunger or sleep, goes unfulfilled, it creates an internal imbalance. This imbalance, or...

Self-Regulation

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Goal support as a central force in human connection.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same author

Health as an Alibi: The Virtuous Framing of Appearance Pursuits.

Personality & social psychology bulletin·2025

Same author

Learning from failure is like learning from unsolicited advice.

Current opinion in psychology·2025

Same author

Reply to "A Tendency to Answer Consistently Can Generate Apparent Failures to Learn From Failure".

Psychological science·2025

Same author

Categorizing tasks around a break reduces rumination and improves task performance.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2025

Same author

The failure gap.

Journal of personality and social psychology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 11, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

Immediate Rewards Predict Adherence to Long-Term Goals.

Kaitlin Woolley¹, Ayelet Fishbach¹

¹1 University of Chicago, IL, USA.

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin

|December 1, 2016

Summary

Immediate rewards, like enjoyment, are more effective at keeping people persistent with long-term goals than delayed rewards, such as improved health. This finding holds true across multiple studies and time frames.

Keywords:

immediate/delayed rewards long-term goals motivation persistence

More Related Videos

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

Published on: April 28, 2022

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 11, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

Published on: April 28, 2022

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

Area of Science:

Behavioral Psychology
Goal Pursuit
Motivation Science

Background:

Individuals often set long-term goals for delayed rewards like better health.
Understanding the drivers of persistence in goal-directed behavior is crucial for intervention development.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relative impact of immediate versus delayed rewards on persistence in long-term goal pursuit.
To determine which type of reward is a stronger predictor of sustained engagement in goal-related activities.

Main Methods:

A meta-analysis of five studies examining New Year's resolutions, studying, and exercising.
Assessed the association between immediate and delayed rewards (anticipated and materialized) and persistence.
Controlled for time frames (short and long) and specific activities.

Main Results:

Immediate rewards significantly predicted persistence in goal activities, while delayed rewards did not.
Enjoyment as an immediate reward was a stronger predictor of persistence than health benefits as a delayed reward.
This pattern held across different activities, time frames, and reward assessment types.

Conclusions:

While delayed rewards may initiate goal setting, immediate rewards are more critical for actual persistence in long-term goals.
Interventions aimed at enhancing goal persistence should consider incorporating immediate reward mechanisms.
The findings challenge the traditional view that delayed gratification is the primary motivator for long-term goal achievement.