Why Can More Rewards Sometimes Make Us Want to Do Less?

A child who already enjoys drawing may receive a sticker for every picture, then pick up the pencils less often once the stickers stop. This pattern is often called the undermining effect of rewards. An activity first pursued for its own sake can be reinterpreted as a means of obtaining an external return.

The child has not necessarily stopped liking drawing. What changes is the meaning carried by the activity. A visible reward promised in advance and made conditional on completion can feel controlling; the person may attribute their action to the reward, while their sense of autonomy declines. An unexpected gift after the activity, specific feedback that conveys competence, or a necessary task that was never interesting may not have the same effect.

In 1999, Deci, Koestner and Ryan reviewed 128 experiments. On average, expected tangible rewards reduced free-choice engagement after the reward period, while positive verbal feedback could increase interest. That finding does not end the debate. Results vary with the measure of motivation, participants’ age, whether the task was initially interesting, and whether rewards depend on participation or performance. Experiments can support a causal effect of some reward arrangements on short-term voluntary engagement. They cannot establish that bonuses inevitably destroy employees’ enthusiasm or that children should never receive rewards.

A more accurate judgement is that rewards communicate both value and control. The question is not simply how much to offer, but what the arrangement makes the activity mean: something a person can choose to invest in, or an exchange that ends when payment stops.

Research abstract:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10589297/