Professor Olya Bryksina | The Unexpected Power of Helping Others: What Drives Us in Groups

Bryksina’s study explores what drives people when working toward shared goals. Her findings challenge the typical view that self-interest is our strongest motivator. Instead, she reveals that in group contexts, motivation often comes from supporting teammates, because doing so feels more meaningful to the group’s overall success.

This comes down to what Bryksina calls “perceived goal progress.” People find actions motivating to the extent that they feel those actions would result in progress towards the group’s goal. We evaluate goal progress of teammates from what is known in psychology as greater social distance that leads us to assume a more detached goal-focused perspective, free from the internal doubts and distractions. Because of this, we see actions that advance our teammates’ progress as more goal consistent and impactful, and thus more motivating.

Bryksina conducted a series of experiments involving hundreds of participants who were placed in group scenarios: solving math problems, proofreading, or completing language tasks. Some were given the option to use their time or money to benefit themselves, while others could use the same resources to help a teammate.

What she found was consistent and striking: people were more motivated when their actions helped a fellow group member. They were even willing to spend more time and money in support of someone else’s progress toward the group goal than their own.

These findings have significant implications. In today’s world, where teamwork is central, from classrooms and offices to sports teams and volunteer efforts, leaders and educators can foster motivation by framing tasks around interdependence and facilitation of others’ (rather than one’s own) progress toward the goal.

What makes Bryksina’s research so compelling is its reminder that human motivation is deeply social. We don’t just strive for our own success, we’re inspired by the sense that we’re making a meaningful contribution to something bigger than ourselves. Helping others, it turns out, isn’t just generous, it can be the spark that keeps us going.