What Motivates People to Change?

When I worked as a GED tutor in prison I often had an insightful look into human nature and at times, more specifically, into the attitudes and behaviors typical in criminal personalities. 

A high school diploma or GED is the bare minimum needed to get a job today. Yet, many of the men I worked with placed very little value on this achievement. The psychological factors for this apathy are many and varied. Feelings of low self-worth or ability, fear of embarrassment of peers, or simply an apathy or hatred toward societal norms are only a few of these factors.

I am no a psychologist so I do no try to resolve these underlying issues when I tutor other prisoners. However, I often try to identify what motivates a student so that I can more effectively appeal to these things as I tutor. 

Although research done by the RAND Corporation has shown a correlation between education and lower re-offense rates, the Michigan Department of Corrections makes almost no effort to incentivize the achievement of educational milestones. In most Michigan prisons when a prisoner successfully completes his GED his picture is taken with a certificate and posted in the school building. There is no attempt to celebrate this often monumental first positive achievement in the life of these prisoners. 

People are motivated by either internal or external factors, and sometimes by a combination of these. The obvious external factors for GED prisoner students is recognition among peers, and more importantly, recognition by one's mother, grandmother, or children. Another external factor is if the parole board wants to see the completion of this milestone. 

External factors are important, and they are often the first place to start appealing to when trying to motivate someone. However, internal factors are much stronger than external factors. 

Some internal factors include the drive or need for achievement, cultural expectations, and intrinsic motivation or self-motivated behavior toward a goal. 
These factors are rare among prisoner students, and therefore difficult to use successfully in an appeal. I personally believe that internatl factors of motivation cannot be taught, but I believe it is possible to awaken in a person the internal factors already present that lay dormant. When I have tutored I tried to excite the student to the possibilities new-found knowledge can bring to his life. This is not always effective, but I've learned that until someone really wants something himself he'll find many reasons and excuses to avoid achieving it.