We often know what is good for us — how we should eat, drink and exercise — but still find it hard to stick to our plans due to a lack of motivation. It’s even harder to motivate children and adolescents to do what is good for them: pay attention in school, study at home, and turn that screen off. Moreover, motivating children touches on the broader subject of child-rearing, where everyone has an opinion (a topic best avoided at dinner parties). 

That’s why it’s so good that people like David Yeager, Professor in Psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, conduct real research about these questions — testing motivational strategies through randomized controlled trials where outcomes are quantified. He was the lead author of one of the largest trials on implementing growth mindset interventions in thousands of children.¹ I’ve often cited his work on fostering a sense of meaning in school, particularly his delightfully titled paper, “Boring but Important.” ² And yes, encouraging meaning works!

I recently read Yeager’s insightful new book: “10 to 25 – the science of motivating young people,” where he presents a lot of original scientific studies (and a lot of stories and anecdotes - it’s an American popular science book).³ He also presents his overarching theory for motivation.

In short, his interpretation of many findings is that young people are primarily motivated by striving for status, prestige, and respect. He thinks that we often underestimate their ability to plan and make decisions because we miss what their goal really is. That is also why so many campaigns–such as ones aimed at getting kids to stop smoking, for example–not only failed but had the reverse effect: they made kids smoke more.

There is also a very interesting section on stress management. Yeager suggests that there is a prevalent misconception that a stress response is always bad and something to be avoided. Instead, he shows the benefits of a very short instruction on how not to be afraid of physiological signs of stress and instead view them as a healthy response — that the body is preparing to tackle a difficult situation, such as a test or difficult assignment. When an assignment is seen as a challenge, not a threat, the body responds differently, and performance is enhanced. Interpreting difficult tasks as challenges, not threats, is especially useful when combined with a growth mindset. This kind of mindset is also what characterizes someone with a lot of grit.

Yeager also touches on the concept of purpose and meaning. He describes the very successful EL Education schools where children are motivated by engaging in projects tackling issues in society that they think are important, such as investigating pollution in the environment. One study found that students in these schools learn about ten months’ more math than their peers over three years. 

Why does this motivate young children? An educator at one of the EL Education schools puts it succinctly: “It is not about interest. It is about meaning.” This is close to the message in Yeager’s title, “Boring but Important.” It is also reminiscent of Viktor Frankl's message. The chapter suitably starts with a citation of Frankl, who writes that the person who knows the “why” of his life can bear any “how.” 

While this is all very interesting and important, I found myself disagreeing with Yeager on his interpretation of the studies of purpose. Yeager tries to reconcile these with his overarching theory that young people are only motivated by status and prestige. However, striving for status is an egocentric drive. What Frankl and the EF school educator talk about is a focus on something outside oneself—something bigger and more important. 

Despite my disagreement about Yeager’s interpretation of meaning and status, this is a very useful book based on sound science. I can really recommend everyone read it—not only teachers and parents. But you already have so many good books that you know you ought to read. The catch-22 is getting the motivation to get through this book too.

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References

1. Yeager, D.S., et al., A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement. Nature, 2019. 573(7774): p. 364-369.

2. Yeager, D.S., et al., Boring but important: a self-transcendent purpose for learning fosters academic self-regulation. J Pers Soc Psychol, 2014. 107(4): p. 559-80.

3. Yeager, D. 10 to 25 The Science of Motivating Young People. 2024. Simon & Schuster. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/10-to-25/David-Yeager/9781668023884