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Understanding the overjustification effect and how giving rewards for things we already like can sometimes decrease motivation.
What if getting a prize for your favorite hobby actually made you want to quit? Imagine being paid $10 every time you played your favorite video game—it sounds like a dream, but psychology shows it might actually turn your 'play' into 'work.'
To understand why rewards can backfire, we first need to look at why we do things at all. Psychologists divide motivation into two categories. Intrinsic Motivation is the drive that comes from inside you. You do the activity because it is fun, challenging, or satisfying. Think of playing basketball just because you love the game. Extrinsic Motivation comes from the outside. You do the activity to get a reward or avoid a punishment. This includes things like grades, money, or trophies. While both can get you moving, they affect your brain differently. When you are intrinsically motivated, the activity is the reward itself. When you are extrinsically motivated, the activity is just a tool to get something else.
Quick Check
If you practice the piano because you love the sound of the music, what type of motivation are you using?
Answer
Intrinsic Motivation
The Overjustification Effect happens when an external incentive (like a prize) decreases a person's internal desire to perform a task. Essentially, your brain gets 'confused.' If you already liked drawing, and then someone starts paying you for it, your brain begins to shift its reasoning. Instead of thinking, 'I am drawing because I love it,' you start thinking, 'I am drawing to get that money.' This shift can be represented by a simple conceptual logic: If is your initial reason, adding a might actually lead to once the reward is gone. Once the external prize is removed, you might find that the original 'spark' of joy has vanished because the activity now feels like a chore.
1. A student named Sam loves reading sci-fi books every night for fun. 2. The school starts a program where students get a free pizza coupon for every 3 books they read. 3. Sam starts reading faster just to get the pizza. 4. After the program ends, Sam stops reading entirely because it no longer feels 'worth it' without the pizza reward.
Quick Check
According to the overjustification effect, what happens to intrinsic interest when a reward is added to something you already like?
Answer
The intrinsic interest typically decreases.
Does this mean all rewards are bad? Not at all! The key is how the reward is given. Controlling rewards (e.g., 'You only get this if you do exactly what I say') tend to kill motivation. However, Informational rewards can actually help. These are rewards that provide feedback about your skill. For example, a trophy for 'Most Improved Player' tells you that you are getting better, which can boost your confidence. If the reward feels like a 'bribe,' it hurts interest. If the reward feels like 'applause' for a job well done, it can keep the passion alive. The goal is to keep the focus on the growth, not just the prize.
Imagine you run a coding club. You want members to write more code.
Bad Approach: Offer $5 for every 10 lines of code. This makes coding feel like a factory job.
Better Approach: Create a 'Wall of Fame' where the most creative or efficient code is displayed. This acts as an informational reward that celebrates their skill without making the money the main goal. This maintains the ratio of without replacing the joy of building.
Which of these is an example of the overjustification effect?
What is the main difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
All rewards, including praise and feedback, always decrease motivation.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain to a friend why giving a child money for every book they read might actually make them stop reading in the long run.
Practice Activity
Think of a hobby you love. If you were to create a reward system for yourself to get better at it, how could you make it 'informational' rather than 'controlling'?