Incentives
Behavior responds to incentives.
Shrink Definition
Incentives are factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior by changing its expected rewards, costs, or consequences. Incentives may be: • financial • emotional • social • moral • biological • psychological • environmental Human behavior often follows incentives more reliably than intentions.
Plain language
People tend to move toward what's rewarded and away from what's costly.
Shrink Insight
People often behave exactly as the system rewards them to behave.
Why it matters
Incentives influence: • healthcare • education • parenting • business • politics • leadership • relationships Poorly designed incentives frequently produce unintended consequences.
Common misunderstanding
Good intentions can't consistently overcome poorly designed incentives.
Shrink Perspective
If you want different behavior, examine the incentives before blaming the individual.
Shrink Reflection
What behaviors does your current environment quietly reward?
Shrink Journal
List three habits. Identify the incentive maintaining each one.
Shrink Step
Increase one reward for a behavior you want more often.
Shrink Minute
Behavior follows incentives.
Shrink Takeaway
Design incentives carefully.
Medical boundary
This concept is educational and shouldn't be used to self-diagnose. It doesn't replace care from a licensed clinician. Symptoms, medication, and treatment decisions should be discussed with a qualified professional, and emergency symptoms require emergency care.
Evidence summary
Incentives are foundational across behavioral economics, organizational psychology, public policy, evolutionary biology, and behavioral science. Incentive structures consistently influence decision-making and long-term behavioral patterns.
Sources
American Psychological Association (APA); Peer-reviewed scientific literature; Peer-reviewed decision science and behavioral economics literature
Reference status: authorities listed citation pending