Having made a study of motivation, I'd like to add that extrinsic motivation and tangible rewards do not usually work well for tasks that require a bit of creative problem solving (see Dan Pink's TED talk). This is why bribing kids to get As on their report cards or punishing teachers when their students' test scores drop do not work. However, they can be effective for very specific tasks that are easy to execute.
I would also like to point out, though it does not necessarily bear on this particular case, that tangible rewards have been found to be one of the most effective approaches for working with students with ADHD or oppositional issues.
So there you have it. Intrinsic and extrinsic can both be either effectively or ineffectively applied.
Last edited by Beckee; 12/21/11 01:48 PM.
