Glossary
Non-specific incentive
What is a non-specific incentive?
A non-specific incentive promises a reward contingent on effort or progress in a target behavior when the kind of reward is not classified as material or social.
How the technique is defined
Non-specific refers to the reward category, not to an absence of a behavioral condition. If money or praise is specified, the corresponding material or social incentive code is more appropriate.
Non-specific incentive does not mean “no incentive” or “non-incentivized.” Those phrases indicate that no incentive is offered; this technique still includes a promised reward.
Illustrative example
A program promises access to a valued leisure activity after a participant completes an agreed practice schedule.
Evidence and limits
The original BCT Taxonomy v1 definitions identify this as technique 10.6. This supports the definition and distinctions above. The taxonomy was developed to describe intervention content; it does not establish how effective this technique is for a particular person or setting.