Comparison of Monetary Reinforcers and Goal Setting as Learning Incentives

1985 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vandra L. Huber
Keyword(s):  
Goal Setting ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Laboratory Setting ◽  
Performance Goal ◽  
Piece Rate ◽  
Significant Performance ◽  
Linear Trends

This 3 × 3 study (with one cell missing) examined the effectiveness of goal setting (participative, assigned, and no goals) and financial incentives (noncontingent, piece rate, and goal contingent) as techniques to stimulate learning 88 inexperienced trainees performed a 10-hr., 5-day proofreading proficiency task in a laboratory setting. The linear trends for all groups except the control group in which noncontingent ($30 for completing the training period) pay was offered were significant. Planned comparisons indicated that learning was greatest when a performance goal was assigned and a financial incentive offered for demonstrating that level of performance. The offer of piece-rate reinforcement also stimulated faster learning than the offer of noncontingent pay. Setting goals, regardless of the method, did not result in significant performance increases beyond that achieved by offering a $30 incentive for merely completing the training. Finally, financial incentives affected goal choice. Implications for training programs were discussed.

scholarly journals Perceptions of a food benefit program that includes financial incentives for the purchase of fruits and vegetables and restrictions on the purchase of foods high in added sugar

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Fatima A Fagbenro ◽  
Tessa Lasswell ◽  
Sarah A Rydell ◽  
J Michael Oakes ◽  
Brian Elbel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Added Sugar ◽  
Program Satisfaction ◽  
Food Purchasing ◽  
Households With Children ◽  
Participant Perspectives

ABSTRACT Objective To report perspectives of participants in a food benefit program that includes FAS restrictions and FAS restrictions paired with F/V incentives. Design Randomized experimental trial in which participant perspectives were an exploratory study outcome. Setting Participants were randomized into one of three SNAP-like food benefit program groups - (1) Restriction: not allowed to buy FAS with benefits; (2) Restriction paired with incentive: not allowed to buy FAS with benefits and 30% financial incentive on eligible F/V purchased using benefits; or (3) Control: Same food purchasing rules as SNAP. Participants were asked questions to assess program satisfaction. Participants Adults in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN metropolitan area, eligible for but not currently participating in SNAP who completed baseline and follow-up study measures (n=254). Results Among remaining households in each group, most found the program helpful in buying nutritious foods (88.2%-95.7%) and were satisfied with the program (89.1%-93.0%). Sensitivity analysis results indicate that reported helpfulness and satisfaction with the program may in some instances be lower among the Restriction and the Restrictions paired with Incentive groups in comparison to the control group. Conclusions A food benefit program that includes restriction on purchase of FAS or restriction paired with a financial incentive for F/V purchases may be acceptable to most SNAP-eligible households with children.

scholarly journals Randomised controlled trial of a financial incentive for increasing the number of daily walking steps: study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e026086
Author(s):  
Yasutake Tomata ◽  
Fumiya Tanji ◽  
Dieta Nurrika ◽  
Yingxu Liu ◽  
Saho Abe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Sample Size Calculation ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Modifiable Factors ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionPhysical activity is one of the major modifiable factors for promotion of public health. Although it has been reported that financial incentives would be effective for promoting health behaviours such as smoking cessation or attendance for cancer screening, few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have examined the effect of financial incentives for increasing the number of daily steps among individuals in a community setting. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of financial incentives for increasing the number of daily steps among community-dwelling adults in Japan.Methods and analysisThis study will be a two-arm, parallel-group RCT. We will recruit community-dwelling adults who are physically inactive in a suburban area (Nakayama) of Sendai city, Japan, using leaflets and posters. Participants that meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group will be offered a financial incentive (a chance to get shopping points) if participants increase their daily steps from their baseline. The primary outcome will be the average increase in the number of daily steps (at 4–6 weeks and 7–9 weeks) relative to the average number of daily steps at the baseline (1–3 weeks). For the sample size calculation, we assumed that the difference of primary outcome would be 1302 steps.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been ethically approved by the research ethics committee of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan (No. 2018-1-171). The results will be submitted and published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.Trial registration numberUMIN000033276; Pre-results.

scholarly journals Using Clinical Trial Data to Estimate the Costs of Behavioral Interventions for Potential Adopters: A Guide for Trialists

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-20
Author(s):  
Louise B. Russell ◽  
Laurie A. Norton ◽  
David Pagnotti ◽  
Christianne Sevinc ◽  
Sophia Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Trial Data ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cost Information ◽  
Billing Data ◽  
Pragmatic Clinical Trials

Behavioral interventions involving electronic devices, financial incentives, gamification, and specially trained staff to encourage healthy behaviors are becoming increasingly prevalent and important in health innovation and improvement efforts. Although considerations of cost are key to their wider adoption, cost information is lacking because the resources required cannot be costed using standard administrative billing data. Pragmatic clinical trials that test behavioral interventions are potentially the best and often only source of cost information but rarely incorporate costing studies. This article provides a guide for researchers to help them collect and analyze, during the trial and with little additional effort, the information needed to inform potential adopters of the costs of adopting a behavioral intervention. A key challenge in using trial data is the separation of implementation costs, the costs an adopter would incur, from research costs. Based on experience with 3 randomized clinical trials of behavioral interventions, this article explains how to frame the costing problem, including how to think about costs associated with the control group, and describes methods for collecting data on individual costs: specifications for costing a technology platform that supports the specialized functions required, how to set up a time log to collect data on the time staff spend on implementation, and issues in getting data on device, overhead, and financial incentive costs.

scholarly journals 105. Null Effect of Financial Incentives or Social Media Support on Prep Adherence in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Young Men Who Have Sex with Men of Colour

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S181-S182
Author(s):  
Chelsea Ware ◽  
Andrew D Sparks ◽  
Matthew E Levy ◽  
Hilary Wolf ◽  
Marc O Siegel
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Incentive Group ◽  
Media Group

Abstract Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) using emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (FTC/TDF) effectively reduces HIV transmission, with efficacy being dependent on adherence. We evaluated the effect of either social media-based support or financial incentives on PrEP adherence among young MSM of color in Washington, DC Methods MSM aged 18–29 were randomized 1:1:1 to standard of care (SOC) PrEP (Control group), SOC PrEP + invitation to a bidirectional Facebook group supervised by two clinicians (Social Media group), or SOC PrEP + $50 gift card at each of two follow-up visits (Financial Incentive group). Participants were asked to return at 3 and 6 months. Adherence was monitored with predefined dried blood spots (DBS) TFVdp levels with < 490, 490–979, 980–1749 and ≥1750 fmol/punch correlating with average of < 2, 2–4, 4–6, and 7 doses per week Results We enrolled 53 MSM. Average age was 22.5 years and 72% of participants were Black. At enrollment, 96% had previously heard of PrEP, 17% had ever taken PrEP but none had taken PrEP in the prior 6 months. 92% of participants reported condomless anal sex in the prior 3 months, 36% with an HIV-positive man or man of unknown HIV status (Table 1). 81% of participants returned for their 3-month visit and 70% for their 6-month visit. Mean self-reported PrEP adherence over the previous 3 months was 78% with no difference in adherence between the three groups at either visit. Based on DBS TFVdp levels, protective PrEP adherence (≥4 doses/week) was measured in 46% of the Financial Incentive group and in 57% of the Social Media group compared to in 67% of the Control group (p=0.38). Only 16% of TFVdp levels corresponded to taking PrEP 7 days a week (Figure 1). There was no change in sexual risk activity over the course of the study. 38 sexually transmitted infections were diagnosed in 26 participants (Figure 2). No participant tested positive for HIV. 3 months after study completion, 9 participants were still taking PrEP Table I. Sexual risk behaviors over the previous 3 months for study participants assessed at baseline visit, as well as 3 month and 6 month follow up visits Figure 1. PrEP Adherence. Figure 2. Number of sexually transmitted infections by specific etiology and site diagnosed Conclusion Our study showed no impact of either offering financial incentives or providing access to a supervised Facebook-based support group on PrEP adherence. Financial compensation based on level of PrEP adherence and using a more age-appropriate social media platform may have a greater impact on adherence Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals The effect of a fresh produce incentive paired with cooking and nutrition education on healthy eating in low-income households: a pilot study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Angela R Fertig ◽  
Xuyang Tang ◽  
Heather M Dahlen
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Control Group

Abstract Objective: This study pilot-tested combining financial incentives to purchase fruits and vegetables with nutrition education focused on cooking to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables and improve attitudes around healthy eating on a budget among low-income adults. The goal of the pilot study was to examine implementation feasibility and fidelity, acceptability of the intervention components by participants and effectiveness. Design: The study design was a pre-post individual-level comparison without a control group. The pilot intervention included two components, a scan card providing free produce up to a weekly maximum dollar amount for use over a 2-month period, and two sessions of tailored nutrition and cooking education. Outcomes included self-reported attitudes about healthy eating and daily fruit and vegetable consumption from one 24-h dietary recall collected before and after the intervention. Setting: Greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area in Minnesota. Participants: Adults (n 120) were recruited from five community food pantries. Results: Findings indicated that the financial incentive component of the intervention was highly feasible and acceptable to participants, but attendance at the nutrition education sessions was moderate. Participants had a statistically significant increase in the consumption of fruit, from an average of 1·00 cup/d to 1·78 cups/d (P < 0·001), but no significant change in vegetable consumption or attitudes with respect to their ability to put together a healthy meal. Conclusions: While combining financial incentives with nutrition education appears to be acceptable to low-income adult participants, barriers to attend nutrition education sessions need to be addressed in future research.

scholarly journals Financial incentives for smoking cessation in pregnancy: multicentre randomised controlled trial

BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. e065217
Author(s):  
Ivan Berlin ◽  
Noémi Berlin ◽  
Marie Malecot ◽  
Martine Breton ◽  
Florence Jusot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Abstinence Rate ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Smoking Abstinence ◽  
Pregnant Smokers

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of financial incentives dependent on continuous smoking abstinence on smoking cessation and birth outcomes among pregnant smokers.DesignSingle blind, randomised controlled trial.SettingFinancial Incentive for Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy (FISCP) trial in 18 maternity wards in France.Participants460 pregnant smokers aged at least 18 years who smoked ≤5 cigarettes/day or ≤3 roll-your-own cigarettes/day and had a pregnancy gestation of <18 weeks were randomised to a financial incentives group (n=231) or a control group (n=229).InterventionsParticipants in the financial incentives group received a voucher equivalent to €20 (£17; $23), and further progressively increasing vouchers at each study visit if they remained abstinent. Participants in the control group received no financial incentive for abstinence. All participants received a €20 show-up fee at each of six visits.Main outcome measuresThe main outcome measure was continuous smoking abstinence from the first post-quit date visit to visit 6, before delivery. Secondary outcomes in the mothers were point prevalence abstinence, time to smoking relapse, withdrawal symptoms, blood pressure, and alcohol and cannabis use in past 30 days. Secondary outcomes in the babies were gestational age at birth, birth characteristics (birth weight, length, head circumference, Apgar score), and a poor neonatal outcome—a composite measure of transfer to the neonatal unit, congenital malformation, convulsions, or perinatal death.ResultsMean age was 29 years. In the financial incentives and control groups, respectively, 137 (59%) and 148 (65%) were employed, 163 (71%) and 171 (75%) were in a relationship, and 41 (18%) and 31 (13%) were married. The participants had smoked a median of 60 cigarettes in the past seven days. The continuous abstinence rate was significantly higher in the financial incentives group (16%, 38/231) than control group (7%, 17/229): odds ratio 2.45 (95% confidence interval 1.34 to 4.49), P=0.004). The point prevalence abstinence rate was higher (4.61, 1.41 to 15.01, P=0.011), the median time to relapse was longer (visit 5 (interquartile range 3-6) and visit 4 (3-6), P<0.001)), and craving for tobacco was lower (β=−1.81, 95% confidence interval −3.55 to −0.08, P=0.04) in the financial incentives group than control group. Financial incentives were associated with a 7% reduction in the risk of a poor neonatal outcome: 4 babies (2%) in the financial incentives group and 18 babies (9%) in the control group: mean difference 14 (95% confidence interval 5 to 23), P=0.003. Post hoc analyses suggested that more babies in the financial incentives group had birth weights ≥2500 g than in the control group: unadjusted odds ratio 1.95 (95% confidence interval 0.99 to 3.85), P=0.055; sex adjusted odds ratio 2.05 (1.03 to 4.10), P=0.041; and sex and prematurity adjusted odds ratio 2.06 (0.90 to 4.71), P=0.086. As these are post hoc analyses, the results should be interpreted with caution.ConclusionsFinancial incentives to reward smoking abstinence compared with no financial incentives were associated with an increased abstinence rate in pregnant smokers. Financial incentives dependent on smoking abstinence could be implemented as a safe and effective intervention to help pregnant smokers quit smoking.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02606227.

Effects of a Seasonal Goal-Setting Program on Lacrosse Performance

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Weinberg ◽  
Thomas Stitcher ◽  
Peggy Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Performance ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Ncaa Division Iii ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Division Iii ◽  
Performance Differences ◽  
Specific Goal ◽  
Significant Performance

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effects of a specific goal-setting program on physical performance over the course of a competitive athletic season. Subjects were 24 members of an NCAA Division III men’s lacrosse team who were matched on ability and playing position and then randomly assigned to either a goal-setting or do-your-best control group. The experimenter met with each athlete at the beginning of the season to provide goals, as well as during the season to reevaluate the goals, if necessary. Performance was measured on offensive assists, offensive ground balls, defensive ground balls, and defensive clears. Manipulation checks revealed that players accepted their goals, felt their goals were realistic, and tried hard to reach their goals. Although statistical tests indicated no significant performance differences, the magnitude, direction, and consistency of the differences in favor of the goal group offers some support for the effectiveness of specific goals across an athletic season.

Coupling Financial Incentives With Direct Mail in Population-Based Practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan S. Slater ◽  
Michael J. Parks ◽  
Michael E. Malone ◽  
George A. Henly ◽  
Christina L. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Direct Mail ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Fee For Service

Financial incentives are being used increasingly to encourage a wide array of health behaviors because of their well-established efficacy. However, little is known about how to translate incentive-based strategies to public health practice geared toward improving population-level health, and a dearth of research exists on how individuals respond to incentives through public health communication strategies such as direct mail. This study reports results of a population-based randomized controlled trial testing a direct mail, incentive-based intervention for promoting mammography uptake. The study population was composed of a random sample of Minnesota women enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service and overdue for breast cancer screening. Participants ( N = 18,939) were randomized into three groups: (1) Direct Mail only, (2) Direct Mail plus Incentive, and (3) Control. Both direct mail groups received two mailers with a message about the importance of mammography; however, Mail plus Incentive mailers also offered a $25 incentive for getting a mammogram. Logistic regression analyses measured intervention effects. Results showed the odds for receiving mammography were significantly higher for the Direct Mail plus Incentive group compared with both Direct Mail only and Control groups. The use of incentives also proved to be cost-effective. Additionally, the Direct Mail only group was more likely to receive mammography than the Control group. Findings offer experimental evidence on how the population-based strategy of direct mail coupled with a financial incentive can encourage healthy behavior, as well as how incentive-based programs can be translated into health promotion practice aimed at achieving population-level impact.

scholarly journals Are You Paying Your Employees to Cheat? An Experimental Investigation

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Bram Cadsby ◽  
Fei Song ◽  
Francis Tapon
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Performance Pay ◽  
The Other ◽  
Experimental Task ◽  
Piece Rate ◽  
Bonus System ◽  
Performance Based Compensation

Abstract We compare, through a laboratory experiment using salient financial incentives, misrepresentations of performance under target-based compensation with those under both a linear piece-rate and a tournament-based bonus system. An anagram game was employed as the experimental task. Results show that productivity was similar and statistically indistinguishable under the three schemes. In contrast, whether one considers the number of overclaimed words, the number of work/pay periods in which overclaims occur, or the number of participants making an overclaim at least once, target-based compensation produced significantly more cheating than either of the other two systems. While earlier research has compared cheating under target-based compensation with cheating under non-performance-based compensation, which offers no financial incentive to cheat, this is the first study that compares cheating under target-based schemes to cheating under other performance-based schemes. The results suggest that cheating as a response to incentives can be mitigated without giving up performance pay altogether.

scholarly journals The Incentives to Quit tobacco in Pregnancy (IQuiP) protocol: piloting a financial incentive-based smoking treatment for women attending substance use in pregnancy antenatal services

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e032330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa A Jackson ◽  
Amanda L Brown ◽  
Amanda L Baker ◽  
Gillian S Gould ◽  
Adrian J Dunlop
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
New England ◽  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Clinical Trial Registry ◽  
Antenatal Services ◽  
In Pregnancy

IntroductionWhile tobacco smoking prevalence is falling in many western societies, it remains elevated among high-priority cohorts. Rates up to 95% have been reported in women whose pregnancy is complicated by other substance use. In this group, the potential for poor pregnancy outcomes and adverse physical and neurobiological fetal development are elevated by tobacco smoking. Unfortunately, few targeted and effective tobacco dependence treatments exist to assist cessation in this population. The study will trial an evidence-based, multicomponent tobacco smoking treatment tailored to pregnant women who use other substances. The intervention comprises financial incentives for biochemically verified abstinence, psychotherapy delivered by drug and alcohol counsellors, and nicotine replacement therapy. It will be piloted at three government-based, primary healthcare facilities in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, Australia. The study will assess the feasibility and acceptability of the treatment when integrated into routine antenatal care offered by substance use in pregnancy antenatal services.Methods and analysisThe study will use a single-arm design with pre–post comparisons. One hundred clients will be recruited from antenatal clinics with a substance use in pregnancy service. Women must be <33 weeks’ gestation, ≥16 years old and a current tobacco smoker. The primary outcomes are feasibility, assessed by recruitment and retention and the acceptability of addressing smoking among this population. Secondary outcomes include changes in smoking behaviours, the comparison of adverse maternal outcomes and neonatal characteristics to those of a historical control group, and a cost-consequence analysis of the intervention implementation.Ethics and disseminationProtocol approval was granted by Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference 17/04/12/4.05), with additional ethical approval sought from the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (Reference 1249/17). Findings will be disseminated via academic conferences, peer-reviewed publications and social media.Trial registration numberAustralia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (Ref: ACTRN12618000576224).

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