The Daily Stat: Why You Lose Motivation Halfway Through a Task

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   AUTHORS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile NOVEMBER 6, 2012 Why You Lose Motivation Halfway Through a Task Research participants who were assigned to proofread nine essays found an average of 0.122 typos per second at first, then just 0.092 per second at the halfway point of the experiment, then 0.124 near the end, revealing a U-shaped, "stuck in the middle" pattern of motivation over the course of a task, says a team led by Andrea Bonezzi of Northwestern University's Kellogg School. At the beginning of a chore, people tend to be motivated by their progress in relation to the starting point; at the end, they're spurred on by their proximity to the end. In the middle, their motivation flags because their attention shifts from the starting point to the end point, the research suggests. Source: Stuck in the Middle : The Psychophysics of Goal Pursuit Share Today's Stat: FEATURED PRODUCT Mastering Project Management Collection Special Collection You're managing the biggest project of the year. And at any given moment, a hundred things could go wrong. From missed deadlines to technology failures to blown budgets. That's not pessimism. That's reality when you're a project manager. And your job is to make it all go right. Fortunately, with Harvard Business Review's Mastering Project Management Collection you'll have the insight and confidence you need to do just that. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Stat: BEST SELLERS HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR's Must Reads Library Set Guide to Persuasive Presentations Guide to Better Business Writing Guide to Getting the Right Work Done PREVIOUS STATS Forcing Yourself to Smile Can Reduce Stress China's Tobacco Company Reaps Profits from Country's Cigarette Addiction A Little Music Training in Childhood Goes a Long Way Americans Are Least Cautious About Coworkers on Facebook Smaller Teams Are Quicker In Naming Babies, Parents Unknowingly Reference Hurricanes Companies Pay More Attention to the Sounds That Products Make "Telecommuting" Is Mostly Just Overtime That You Do at Home A Task Looks Lighter When Help Is Promised A Glimpse of Green Makes You More Creative Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >> Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "The Daily Stat" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)