Research Bite #2: Extrinsic Rewards and Intrinsic Motivation in Education

By Edward L. Deci, Richard Koestner and Richard M. Ryan

Hello!

This half-term, I am going to try something different. Each week, I will use my favourite AI tool, NotebookLM, to summarise a research paper that has profoundly affected my teaching, coaching, and thinking about education*.

• Title: Extrinsic Rewards and Intrinsic Motivation in Education: Reconsidered Once Again

• Authors: Edward L. Deci, Richard Koestner and Richard M. Ryan

• Access the original paper here

• Listen to a deep-dive podcast:

Paper summary

This paper by Deci, Koestner, and Ryan challenges a previous meta-analysis by Cameron and Pierce which argued that extrinsic rewards do not significantly decrease intrinsic motivation in educational settings. The authors provide evidence from their own meta-analysis that tangible rewards have a substantial undermining effect on intrinsic motivation. This conclusion aligns with cognitive evaluation theory (CET), which predicts that rewards can be experienced as either controlling, undermining intrinsic motivation, or informational, enhancing intrinsic motivation. The paper discusses different types of reward contingencies and their effects on intrinsic motivation, and it emphasizes the importance of considering the age of the recipient and the interpersonal context in which rewards are delivered.

What are the key implications for teachers in the classroom?

• Teachers should exercise caution when using reward-based incentive systems. Studies have shown that tangible rewards, such as money, prizes, and good student awards, can undermine intrinsic motivation, especially in children. Intrinsic motivation is linked to high-quality learning and adjustment, so it is important to nurture it. While these rewards may control immediate behaviors, they can negatively affect subsequent interest, persistence, and preference for challenges. This is because tangible rewards are often used to persuade people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do, which can make them feel controlled and reduce their sense of autonomy.

• Unexpected tangible rewards and task-noncontingent tangible rewards do not appear to affect intrinsic motivation. Unexpected rewards are less likely to be seen as the reason for doing a task, and task-noncontingent rewards are not given for doing the task, so neither is likely to be experienced as controlling.

• Verbal rewards, such as positive feedback, can enhance intrinsic motivation, but they are less effective for children than for older students. This might be because children are still developing their sense of self and are more likely to see verbal rewards as controlling. Additionally, verbal rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation if they are given in a controlling manner. For example, if a teacher uses a controlling interpersonal style that pressures students to think, feel, or behave in specific ways, verbal rewards are more likely to be experienced as controlling.

• Performance-contingent rewards, where rewards are directly tied to performance, have the most detrimental effect on intrinsic motivation. This is because they can make students feel like they are only doing the task for the reward, and not because they are interested in it. These types of rewards are common in the real world, which suggests that they may be contributing to a decline in intrinsic motivation among students.

• It is important for teachers to create a supportive and autonomy-supportive classroom environment where students feel intrinsically motivated to learn. This can be done by developing interesting learning activities, providing students with choices, and ensuring that tasks are optimally challenging. When students feel a sense of ownership over their learning, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated.

The sources highlight the importance of understanding the complex relationship between rewards and intrinsic motivation. They suggest that, while rewards can be useful in some situations, teachers should be mindful of their potential negative effects and prioritize fostering intrinsic motivation instead.

Quote

Tangible rewards-both material rewards, such as pizza parties for reading books, and symbolic rewards, such as good student awards-are widely advocated by many educators and are used in many classrooms, yet the evidence suggests that these rewards tend to undermine intrinsic motivation for the rewarded activity. Because the undermining of intrinsic motivation by tangible rewards was especially strong for school-aged children, and because studies have linked intrinsic motivation to high-quality learning and adjustment (e.g., Benware & Deci, 1984; Ryan & Grolnick, 1986), the findings from this meta-analysis are of particular import for primary and secondary school educators

What are the implications of this research for you?

What questions does it make you want to ask?

Let me know in the comments below

🏃🏻‍♂️Before you go, have you… 🏃🏻‍♂️

1. … read last week’s Research Bite about minimal guidance during instruction?

2. … read my latest Eedi newsletter about developing a departmental approach to lesson structure?

3. … listened to my latest podcast with Ollie Lovell about a recent lesson he taught?

4. … considered becoming a Patreon to support my work?

5. … considered booking some CPD, coaching or maths department support?

*Note from Craig Barton’s legal team: Research Bites is in no way, shape, or form influenced by Peps Mccrea’s Evidence Snacks.

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