Does the 'Carrot-and-Stick' Approach Come From Donkeys?

 

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning¹ English.

There are many ways to get people to do what you want. You can threaten them with punishment. You can also entice² others with a reward. In other words, they will get something in return for some effort or service.

Naturally, you can also just ask nicely. But for now, we will talk about threatening and enticing³ – two effective, but different methods of persuasion⁴.

First, let's talk about these important words. When we persuade someone, we try to make them do something.

We can entice them or offer them something very desirable⁵. We can also make threats or promise harm.

Sometimes we do both. One way of saying this is what we call "the carrot-and-stick approach." You can say it is a method of persuasion that involves both a reward and punishment.

When given a choice, most people will surely take the carrot, a popular vegetable, instead of the stick, which could hurt.

For example, let's say a company has a carrot-and-stick approach to vacation days. They entice people to work hard by giving lots of time for paid vacations. (That is the carrot.) But they also threaten to take away those hours if employees refuse to work hard. (That is the punishment, or stick. When we say "stick" we don't mean giving a stick. We mean hitting with a stick!)

This kind of system may work well for some workers but not for others. It depends on what motivates you. Do your like your work? In addition to getting paid, what satisfaction do you get from the job? Or are you only working for a paycheck?

When using the carrot-and-stick method, it also important to carefully consider the reward and punishment. If you do not want the carrot, you are not going to be motivated to do the work. Also, if the punishment is meaningless to you, it will not motivate you either.

Many word historians⁶ say the origin of the expression carrot-and-stick approach is unclear. But some say it comes from the custom of urging a donkey⁷ to move forward by hanging a carrot in front of it. If it refuses to move, the caretaker might decide to hit the animal with a stick.

Here is another example.

The parents tried using a carrot-and-stick approach with their teenage daughter. They promised her a new phone if she brought up her grades and threatened to take away her current phone if her grades dropped even lower.

When it comes to learning English, a carrot-and-stick approach is not a good motivational tool. We here at VOA Learning English can only reward you with praise. And we promise not to punish you...nor would we want to. So, I think the only thing we are giving out here is carrots!

And that is Words and Their Stories for this week.

Words in This Story

entice – v. to attract (someone) especially by offering or showing something that is appealing, interesting, etc.

reward – v. to give money or another kind of payment⁸ to (someone or something) for something good that has been done – n. money or another kind of payment that is given or received for something that has been done or that is offered for something that might be done

motivate – v. to give (someone) a reason for doing something

paycheck – n. a check in payment of wages or salary

origin – n. the point or place where something begins or is created : the source or cause of something

teenage – adj. between 13 and 19 years old : relating to people who are between 13 and 19 years old

grade – n. a number or letter that indicates how a student performed in a class or on a test

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

3 enticing   

adj.迷人的；诱人的

参考例句：

• The offer was too enticing to refuse. 这提议太有诱惑力，使人难以拒绝。
• Her neck was short but rounded and her arms plump and enticing. 她的脖子短，但浑圆可爱；两臂丰腴，也很动人。

4 persuasion   

n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派

参考例句：

• He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。
• After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。

5 desirable   

adj.值得拥有的；可取的，有利的

参考例句：

• Some reasonable adjustments seem desirable.某些合理的调整似乎是可取的。
• Prolonged negotiation was not desirable.拖长了的谈判并不是大家所想要的。

6 historians   

n.历史学家，史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
• Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。

7 donkey   

n.驴子；蠢人；顽固的人

参考例句：

• This donkey can carry two sacks of grain.这头驴能驮两袋粮食。
• "I'll buy your donkey,"said the two.“我想要买你的驴子”两人异口同声说。

8 payment   

n.付款，支付，偿还，偿还，报应

参考例句：

• I gave ten pounds in payment for the goods I bought.我买那些东西付了10英镑。
• This last payment will wipe out your debt to me.这最后一笔付款将了结你欠我的债务。