What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity. Change accelerates when people understand — in specific, behavioral terms — how to reach their goals.

This theme emerged in some educational research cited by Amanda Ripley in her new Time piece called, "Should kids be bribed to do well in school?" The most successful "bribe" programs rewarded behaviors rather than grades. At first look, that seems odd. Why reward an "input" rather than the "output"? Well, here's why:

The students [in New Y...