Theories
According to self-perception theory, a person infers causes about his or her own behavior based on external constraints. The presence of a strong constraint (such as a reward) would lead a person to conclude that he or she is performing the behavior solely for the reward, which shifts the person's motivation from intrinsic to extrinsic.
Cognitive evaluation theory proposes that tangible rewards (like money) are perceived as controlling or coercive. They remove the feeling of self-determination and thus decrease intrinsic motivation. If rewards are unexpected, then the feeling of self-determination is preserved and there is no effect on motivation. On the other hand, informational rewards (like praise) can increase intrinsic motivation by creating a feeling of mastery and self-determination. As a sub-theory of self-determination theory, cognitive evaluation theory explains that intrinsic motivation is maintained or increased when perceived autonomy is preserved or enhanced by rewards or feedback.
The introduction of extrinsic rewards can change the framing of a given task, shifting the motivation from intrinsic to extrinsic. Similar to how Tom Sawyer convinced his friends to whitewash a fence for him by describing the task as a privilege, individuals change their motivations for a task depending on how that task is framed, which is determined by the incentives present. When previously the incentive was only to enjoy the task itself (akin to play), introducing a financial incentive causes the task's participants to shift to a different frame of mind in which they perceive that they are performing the task in order to receive the financial reward instead (akin to work). The market in which such exchanges take place can therefore influence motivations. Moving to a monetary market generally reduces intrinsic motivation.
Read more about this topic: Overjustification Effect
Famous quotes containing the word theories:
“The two most far-reaching critical theories at the beginning of the latest phase of industrial society were those of Marx and Freud. Marx showed the moving powers and the conflicts in the social-historical process. Freud aimed at the critical uncovering of the inner conflicts. Both worked for the liberation of man, even though Marx’s concept was more comprehensive and less time-bound than Freud’s.”
—Erich Fromm (1900–1980)
“Our books of science, as they improve in accuracy, are in danger of losing the freshness and vigor and readiness to appreciate the real laws of Nature, which is a marked merit in the ofttimes false theories of the ancients.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The real trouble about women is that they must always go on trying to adapt themselves to men’s theories of women, as they always have done. When a woman is thoroughly herself, she is being what her type of man wants her to be. When a woman is hysterical it’s because she doesn’t quite know what to be, which pattern to follow, which man’s picture of woman to live up to.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)