THE EFFECT OF EXTRINSIC REWARDS ON INTRINSIC

MOTIVATION

  There is a great amount of research that shows that in general, receiving

extrinsic rewards tends to DECREASE intrinsic motivation

If a person is rewarded for something they already enjoy doing, their interest in the thing tends to decrease.

For example, in one study, if children are rewarded for playing with toys that they already showed interest in, they became less likely to choose to play with the toys on their own.

EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION: THE FLAWS While getting rewards CAN absolutely motivate a person, there are several

flaws inherent in this type of motivation.

If someone is motivated ONLY by extrinsic factors (money, praise, popularity, fame, avoiding disappointing others, avoiding punishment, etc.), then they are:

More likely to crack under pressure More likely to have a difficult time performing when the extrinsic factor is not present Less likely to perform AS WELL as when the intrinsic factor is present.

QUESTION: What are some examples from your own life where extrinisic factors have decreased your interest or joy in an activity or task?

WHEN REWARDS INCREASE INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

There are some mitigating factors regarding whether extrinsic factors will decrease intrinsic motivation:

A person's interest often survives when a reward is used neither to bribe nor to control but to signal a job well done, as in a "most improved player" award. If a reward boosts your feeling of competence after doing good work, your enjoyment of the task may increase. Rewards, rightly administered, can motivate high performance and creativity. And extrinsic rewards (such as scholarships, admissions, and jobs that often follow good grades) are here to stay," explains David G. Meyers in his text Psychology: Eighth Edition in Modules.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER … So, INTRINSIC motivation is the type of motivation that creates better

results and more long-lasting satisfaction and success.

However, EXTRINSIC motivation can help to increase intrinsic motivation if used correctly:

Boost feelings of competence AFTER the task is complete Not used to control or manipulate Rewards improvement over previous performances (not measuring against

others)

Extrinsic motivation can also help to motivate someone to TRY something, which may then lead to intrinsic motivation if the person feels joy, interest or personal accomplishment in that thing.