Have you ever wondered why medals motivate us?
While verbal recognition is incredibly valuable, awards, plaques, and medals have a lasting and positive psychological impact. In fact, they’ve been shown to boost performance in both employees and athletes since ancient times.
At MedalStudio, we’re passionate about designing unique medals because we know they don’t just celebrate achievements, they also inspire, drive goal-setting, build self-esteem, and even trigger the release of dopamine.
In this article, we’ll explore reasons why medals:
- Provide tangible positive reinforcement
- Release dopamine
- Help set clear goals
- Boost self-esteem
- Strengthen connections
Ready to dive into the psychology behind recognition? Let’s get started!
#1 Positive Reinforcement
In behavioural psychology, positive reinforcement refers to rewarding a behaviour to increase the likelihood of it being repeated in the future.
In other words, if you receive a medal or award for putting effort into a specific task, your brain will interpret that experience as positive and will want to repeat it.
The behaviourist B. F. Skinner stated that positive reinforcement tends to be highly effective in the long term, as it is usually associated with positive emotions. That’s why medals are not just attractive goals, they’re also powerful motivational tools.
For example, when an athlete wins a medal, all the behaviours that led to that achievement are reinforced. From then on, they will associate training with positive feelings, which motivates them to keep going.
Remember, positive reinforcement works best when the reward is meaningful. That's why, we always recommend crafting unique medals and awards with a personalised inscription.
#2 Dopamine Release
Did you know that medals can motivate us because of the dopamine released when we receive them?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s activated when we achieve a goal, receive recognition, or experience pleasure.
Medals are a tangible reward, which helps trigger the release of dopamine, increases effort, and even influences decision-making by encouraging behaviours that bring us closer to our goals.
According to PubMed Central, dopamine plays a key role in reward-based learning and keeps us motivated to pursue those rewards. In other words, it drives us to act with greater intensity when we know there’s a reward waiting.
Put simply, when you compete at work or in a sporting event for a medal, your brain begins releasing dopamine just by imagining it. This anticipation fuels your actions and keeps your motivation alive.
#3 Set Clear Goals
Receiving medals also helps us set clear long-term goals, which in turn keeps us motivated and encourages continuous effort.
According to the Goal Setting Theory by Locke and Latham, goal-setting is directly linked to motivation. However, for goals to be truly effective, they must be clear, challenging, supported by commitment, and include feedback along the way.
For example, simply wanting to “improve your running performance” won’t have the same motivational impact as signing up for a race with the goal of winning a medal.
#4 Boost Self-Esteem
At MedalStudio, we don’t just love crafting medals because they recognise achievements, we love them because they also help boost the self-esteem of many of our clients.
You see, according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, all human beings have a need to be recognised by others. Receiving a form of recognition, such as a medal or a personalised award, offers external validation, reinforcing the belief that you are capable and proving that your effort was worthwhile.
This has a direct impact on self-esteem.
Once that need for esteem is fulfilled, it’s common to feel a desire to grow and explore one’s full potential. That’s why medals don’t just provide social recognition — they also foster personal pride and pave the way towards self-realisation.
#5 Strengthen Connections
Although it’s not their primary purpose, medals can also strengthen group identity.
Sharing achievements, such as winning a medal or award, with your work team, schoolmates or fellow athletes can bring you closer together and spark a sense of collective pride and inspiration.
Shared accomplishments often become powerful memories that reinforce group culture and foster a strong sense of belonging — something that can benefit many organisations as well.
At MedalStudio, we’ve seen firsthand how medals not only recognise achievement, but also help to build community.
How to Make Medals Truly Meaningful
If you're looking to motivate your team in a unique and memorable way, we recommend going beyond the typical generic medal. There are plenty of ways to personalise awards and turn the experience into something truly unforgettable.
First, it's important to remember that the material you choose will have a big impact on the overall experience. We recommend opting for durable, high-quality materials such as metal, cast, or acrylic. If you're looking for a more eco-friendly option, there are also excellent alternatives that use wood as the main material.
Once you've selected the material for your medal, it's time to think about the shape. At MedalStudio, we offer custom-shaped medals — perfect if you're after something a little more creative and memorable.
We always recommend engraving your medals, as that’s what truly makes the experience unique. After choosing the material and shape, you can let our designers know exactly how you’d like your medal to look and send over any logos or design ideas you have in mind.
Not sure how to design your medal? Don’t worry! With every order, we offer a free design service, where we’ll create a visual representation based on the images or logos you provide. If you don’t have a logo, we can also create one for you at an additional cost.
Remember, personalising a medal goes beyond celebrating an achievement, it's about creating a symbol that helps keep us motivated and striving towards our goals.
Recognition That Inspires
In conclusion, medals not only recognise achievement, they also reinforce behavior, release dopamine, set clear goals, elevate self-esteem, and even strengthen connections. Backed by psychology, medals serve as powerful reminders of our effort and potential.
If you're looking to take your medals to the next level, check out our site. If you have any questions regarding our custom awards, please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected] or call us at 01377250449.
Updated: 10/04/2025