External rewards can be a useful and effective tool for getting people to stay motivated and on task. This can be particularly important when people need to complete something that they find difficult or uninteresting, such as a boring homework assignment or a tedious work-related project.
While offering rewards can increase motivation in some cases, researchers have also found that this is not always the case. In fact, offering excessive rewards can actually lead to a decrease in intrinsic motivation. The tendency of extrinsic motivation to interfere with intrinsic motivation is known as the overjustification effect. This involves a decrease in intrinsically motivated behaviors after the behavior is extrinsically rewarded and the reinforcement is subsequently discontinued.
In a classic experiment by Lepper, Greene, and Nisbett, children were rewarded lavishly for drawing with felt-tip pens, an activity that they had previously enjoyed doing on their own during play time. When the children were later offered the chance to play with the pens during play time, the children who had been rewarded for using them previously showed little interest in playing with the pens again.
The kids who had not been rewarded, however, continued to play with the pens. Why would rewarding an already intrinsically rewarding behavior lead to this sudden disinterest? One reason is that people tend to analyze their own motivations for engaging in an activity. Once they have been externally rewarded for performing an action, they assign too much importance to the role of the reinforcement in their behavior.
Another possible reason is that activities that initially feel like play or fun can be transformed into work or obligations when tied to an external reward. Extrinsic rewards can be an important tool in motivating behavior, but experts warn that they should be used with caution, especially with children. However, more research is needed on this topic to determine exactly how and when external rewards may undermine intrinsic motivation. A review from Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences examined research on motivation for learning and suggested that extrinsic rewards can actually be mostly effective and not harmful.
It's important to look at the specific situation to determine if extrinsic rewards might help motivate behavior. Below are some example scenarios when extrinsic rewards may be most effective:. In these situations, the rewards should be kept small and should be tied directly to performing a specific behavior. Once some intrinsic interest has been generated and some essential skills have been established, the external motivators should be slowly phased out.
Extrinsic motivation can exert a powerful influence on human behavior, but it has its limits. You might find it helpful to consider whether you are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated in certain situations.
Are you looking forward to your workout because you have a bet with a friend about who can lose the most weight? Then you are extrinsically motivated. If you are eager to work out because you find the activity fun and satisfying, then you are intrinsically motivated. Just remember that extrinsic motivation has pros and cons, so it depends on the person and situation to determine if external rewards will be beneficial in the long run.
Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. APA Dictionary of Psychology. Operant conditioning. Research shows that the results of extrinsic motivation are weak and can even be detrimental in the long-term.
Certain psychologists even indicate that excessively focusing on external motivators can create dependencies. Constantly getting rewards for accomplishments may stand in the way of children being able to develop into independent learners and consequently — workers. That can lead to children basing their worthiness and self-esteem on external validation. Intrinsic motivation has been repeatedly linked to:. They found that extrinsic motivators, in this specific case — higher grades, can give a short boost in interest and motivation.
Yet, they lose their effectiveness overtime. Curiously, the researchers also discovered that having no external motivators no grades can also have as much positive effect on interest and motivation as higher grades. How come? Intrinsic motivation.
In Finland, the first stages of the education system are based on unstructured play. It can also be done through abstract rewards, like praise and fame. In contrast, intrinsic motivation is when internal forces like personal growth or a desire to succeed fuel your drive to complete a task.
Intrinsic motivation is typically seen as a more powerful incentive for behaviors that require long-term execution. Extrinsic motivation can be used to motivate you to do various different things. Extrinsic motivation may be more effective for some people than it is for others. Certain situations may also be better suited for this form of motivation. For some people, the benefits of external rewards are enough to motivate high-quality continuous work.
For others, value-based benefits are more motivating. The value of the reward can decrease if the reward is given too much. This is sometimes referred to as the overjustification effect. The overjustification effect happens when an activity you already enjoy is rewarded so often that you lose interest. In one study , researchers looked at the way month-olds responded to material rewards compared to their response to social praise or no reward. Researchers found that the group that received material rewards was less likely to engage in the same helpful behaviors in the future.
This suggests that the overjustification effect can start at an early age. Not all researchers agree, however. The idea was first explored in a study published in During the study, some children were rewarded for playing with felt-tip pens.
This was an activity they already enjoyed. After continued reward, the reward group no longer wanted to play with the pens. A meta-analysis from found little evidence to support the conclusions from the study. However, a follow-up meta-analysis published in found evidence to support the original theory from Finally, a more recent meta-analysis from determined that extrinsic motivation only has negative outcomes in very specific situations.
But for the most part, it can be an effective form of motivation. A major drawback to using extrinsic motivation is knowing what to do when the reward is gone or its value is exhausted.
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