Incentive
Incentive
Incentive (/ɪnˈsɛntɪv/) is a term used in various fields, including psychology, economics, and medicine. It refers to a factor, often a form of reward or punishment, that motivates an individual to perform an action.
Etymology
The term "incentive" originates from the Latin word "incentivus", which means 'setting the tune' or 'inciting'. It was first used in English in the mid-15th century.
In Medicine
In the field of medicine, incentives are often used to encourage healthy behaviors or discourage unhealthy ones. For example, a health insurance company might offer a discount to members who regularly exercise or maintain a healthy weight. This is known as a health incentive.
Incentives can also be used in medical research, where participants might be offered compensation for their time and effort. This is known as a research incentive.
Related Terms
- Motivation: The psychological drive that gives direction and purpose to behavior. Incentives can increase motivation.
- Reward system: The group of neural structures responsible for incentive salience (i.e., motivation and "wanting", desire, or craving for a reward), associative learning (primarily positive reinforcement and classical conditioning), and positively-valenced emotions, particularly ones involving pleasure as a core component (e.g., joy, euphoria and ecstasy).
- Punishment: The imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon a group or individual, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a response and deterrent to a particular action or behavior that is deemed undesirable or unacceptable.
- Behavioral economics: A field of economics that studies the effects of psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural and social factors on the decisions of individuals. Incentives play a key role in this field.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Incentive
- Wikipedia's article - Incentive
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