SCARF Model: Social Threats and Rewards for the Brain

It describes the interpersonal primary rewards (or threats) that are the most important to the brain. Knowing, understanding and making use of this model can help you develop language for experiences that otherwise sit in your subconscious brain, so that you can catch these experiences as they are happening. All elements in the SCARF model are important, but at any time if just one of them is disregarded a lot of miscommunication can result.

S is for Status

S is for Status: Status is our sense of worth; it is where we fit into the hierarchy and this can be both social as well as related to work. Status is a significant driver of behavior. If our sense of worth is threatened in any way, we are likely to react. Many everyday conversations become arguments driven by a status threat — a strong desire not to be perceived as less than another person. In a communication situation, status increases through sharing important information, giving responsibility, praising and recognizing others, and it's threatened by criticism, failure, or feeling excluded from conversations.

C is for Certainty

C is for Certainty: Clarity and certainty are important to us. Our brain uses fewer resources in familiar situations than in unfamiliar ones. So communicating or working with a lack of clarity can increase stress levels and impair our ability to make effective, balanced decisions. Certainty can be created through routine, clear and regular communication and short, direct messages. Certainty is threatened by change, so the more clarity and information that can be given or sought, the better.

A is for Autonomy

A is for Autonomy: Autonomy gives us a sense of control over what we do and is linked to having choices in a situation. Our brain will process a lack of autonomy or choice as a threat (and this will lead to more stress), whereas being promised more autonomy actually activates the reward system in the brain. This is also about feeling in control of a situation.

R is for Relatedness

R is for Relatedness: We are social animals, and we naturally form social groups and build relationships. These groups build mutual trust and form a barrier against the unknown. This leads to the production of oxytocin, which increases the positive feeling of trust and stabilizes these relationships. This helps a lot if you are working in a team. Creating rapport is key to generating relatedness and can be as simple as shaking hands, using a person's name, or chatting about personal interests. Deeper rapport can be achieved through active listening and demonstrating empathy.

F is for Fairness

F is for Fairness: If we think something is unfair, our brain automatically goes into defensive mode. A strong response that removes the unfairness can activate the reward center of the brain. If something seems unfair, it rapidly triggers intense emotions and the 'threat' response. It uses up a lot of mental energy and distracts from everything else.