Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change

5

Understanding Motivation

(IN WHICH THE ELEPHANT CHANGES A LIGHTBULB)

I like lightbulb jokes. Turns out jokes are easier to remember if you stick to one joke genre. A favorite lightbulb joke is this one:

QUESTION: How many therapists does it take to change a lightbulb?

ANSWER: Just one, but the lightbulb has to really want to change.

It’s an oldie, but it speaks to the fact that motivation is a crucial element for behavior change.

Also, when we’re talking about learning and motivation, there are two different ways to think about it:

• Motivation to learn: What is the motivation of participants to pay attention and participate in the learning ...