The Differences Between Bribes & Lures

All living things respond to incentives. This idea forms the cornerstone of behavior management; by using incentives and disencentives, you can mold animal and human behavior to your expectations. It is important to understand incentives, though, to use them effectively. Bribes and lures are two forms of incentives, one of which is an actual reward while the other is just the promise of a reward.

  1. Problem Solving

    • Bribes solve immediate problems. If a dog is barking wildly and you absolutely need him to be quiet right now, you can give him a bone. This will occupy his mouth and keep him from barking. However, in the long run, it is also teaching him that barking will get him a bone. So, a bribe can solve an immediate problem while a lure can act as an incentive for behavior.

    Behavior Incentive

    • A lure is an incentive for good behavior. If you have a dog that is barking wildly, you can give him a lure by holding a bone over him and saying "no barking." Once he stops barking, you can let him gnaw on the bone -- for a second. This helps create long-term good behavior rather than solving a short-term problem.

    Tangible vs. Intangible

    • A bribe is a tangible reward. If you give a maitre'd $20 to seat you without a reservation, then you are giving him a tangible reward for seating you. However, if you suggest that you might be generous with a tip if you are given good service, then he will hopefully seat you and give you higher-quality service because of the idea of a good tip. A bribe is something that you can see and feel; a lure is something that you are working towards.

    Self vs. Other

    • A bribe is about the person giving the bribe. You bribe someone when you want to help yourself by solving your own problem. A lure, on the other hand, is about building habits in the person or animal receiving it. This may benefit the person giving the lure or it may not. If, for example, you lure your son to brush his teeth with a star chart, then you are luring him to develop good habits.

      On the other hand, if you tell your son he can skip brushing his teeth if he goes to bed right now, then you are bribing him to get him out of your hair. The former helps him develop habits, while the latter just gives you peace and quiet.