Competition is one of the best motivators: it works much better than friendly support, which could actually backfire and reduce motivation, the researchers found.
The research involved college students being encouraged to attend classes at the University fitness centre.
The results showed that when competition was involved, attendance rates at fitness classes were 90% higher.
Dr Damon Centola, one of the study’s authors, said:
“Most people think that when it comes to social media more is better. This study shows that isn’t true: When social media is used the wrong way, adding social support to an online health program can backfire and make people less likely to choose healthy behaviors. However, when done right, we found that social media can increase people’s fitness dramatically.”
Whether it was individual or in groups — competition emerged as critical to motivation.