ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that making the receipt of a reward conditional on the performance of an activity ultimately reduces peoples interest in performing that activity. According to pop psychology gurus, the main problem with human motivation is that it is in such short supply. If only people could get sufficiently motivated, the argument runs, all manner of social and personal ills could soon be overcome. Bulging waistlines would recede, flagging test scores would soar, and the homeless masses would acquire luxury penthouses. By implementing and adjusting contingencies with sufficient rigor, Ashok and Madhumita can be made to do, and made to want to do, most of what is required of them as novice musicians. The researchers determined that extrinsic rewards could undermine preschoolers motivation to engage in a fun activity. Tunnel-vision makes people think and act greedily and inflexibly, thereby impairing their performance in settings that call for the cool-headed consideration of complex possibilities.
