READING 1
Undermining Children’s Intrinsic Interest with Extrinsic Reward: A Test of the “Overjustification” Hypothesis by Lepper, Greene, & Nisbett (1973)
Please refer to the printed reader, Readings in Social Psychology 3/e, for the text of this article.
Overview
In his provocative self-perception theory, Daryl Bem (1972) proposed that people can learn about themselves the same way outside observers do—by watching their own behavior. To the extent that our internal states are weak or difficult to interpret, says Bem, we infer what we think or how we feel by observing our own behavior and the situation in which that behavior takes place. In an early test of this theory, Lepper and others (1973) reasoned that when people are rewarded for engaging in a fun activity, that behavior becomes overjustified, or overrewarded, and can be attributed to extrinsic as well as intrinsic motives. The result is that they may begin to wonder if the activity was ever worth pursuing in its own right. As you read this study, think about the possible implications of this research in schools, businesses, and other settings. As you read more of the textbook, consider also how this research relates to theory and research presented in Chapters 3 (The Social Self), 4 (Perceiving Persons), and 6 (Attitudes).
Critical Thinking Questions
1. As discussed in Chapter 3, behaviorists such as B. F. Skinner emphasized how rewards increased people’s likelihood of performing a behavior. Lepper, Greene, and Nisbett’s research suggests that rewards can make people less likely to engage in a behavior. How can one explain these different effects?
2. Using self-perception theory, explain why the subjects who received an unexpected reward did not show a decrease in intrinsic motivation whereas the subjects who expected to receive a reward did show a decrease in motivation.
3. Lepper and his colleagues selected children for their study only if they showed an intrinsic interest in the activity the researchers would be observing. Why did they select only these children? What effects would the rewards have had if the children had shown very little interest in the activity initially? Why?
4. Why were two experimenters used for each child? Discuss this in relation to experimenter expectancy effects, explained in Chapter 2.
5. Chapter 4 of your textbook explains Jones’s correspondent inference theory. On the basis of this theory, explain why perceivers should be more likely to infer that children are intrinsically interested in drawing if they see the children drawing with no expectation of a reward than if they see them drawing with the expectation of a reward.
6. What are the implications of this research for education? What recommendations, if any, would you make for nursery schools and elementary schools to help maintain children’s interest in learning and exploration? What recommendations would you make to college professors or administrators, coaches, or employers to help maintain their students’, players’, or employees’ levels of interest?
Links For Further Investigation
Essential to the study of the overjustification effect is the ability to measure participants’ intrinsic motivation for particular behaviors. To examine a detailed description of one such scale, see http://www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT/measures/intrins.html.
The present article, as well as other related research, offers evidence about potential downsides of extrinsic rewards. Public debate on this issue is ongoing, however. Go to http://connect.familyeducation.com/webx/webx.dll?4bmxghsv^[email protected]/0 to read through some discussion from parents and teachers regarding the question, “Is it ever a good idea to reward good grades with cash?”
Many American corporations obviously think this answer to this question is yes. As part of their community outreach efforts, several companies offer students rewards for good grades such as product discounts and gift certificates. One such effort is described at http://www.cinnabon.com/media/release_051402.html. How is the research described in the present article relevant to programs such as Cinnabon’s? Do you think there are differences between the immediate rewards offered by parents or teachers and the type of incentive programs initiated by corporations?