Pervasive negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation: The myth continues
Across ages Motivation and curiosity
Links to claims
Limits (1)
| Claim | Basis |
|---|---|
| C22 | Durability: of seven experiments with rewards for doing the task that measured free choice again a few weeks later, only two still showed a significant drop (pp. 23–24); the homogeneous estimate for rewards for doing the task is d+ = −0.30 (K = 50, Figure 1). C22 gives no time bound. |
Challenges (1)
| Claim | Basis |
|---|---|
| C22 | Counter-meta arguing pervasive harm is a myth; free-choice still negative for expected tangible / doing (d1 = −0.18 / −0.35) — C22 kill-test survived 2026-10-27 extra12. Performance-criterion carve-out in Bounds. |
Review state: first-pass draft, pending human review.
Source note
Syntes: Cameron, Banko & Pierce (2001) — even the counter-meta finds expected tangible rewards lower free-choice on high-interest tasks
Källa: Cameron, J.; Banko, K. M.; Pierce, W. D. (2001). Pervasive negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation: The myth continues. The Behavior Analyst 24(1), 1–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392017
Verified content
- [full text] Meta of experimental between-groups studies of rewards and intrinsic motivation (free-choice and self-report), designed to resolve Deci, Koestner & Ryan 1999 vs Cameron & Pierce 1994.
- [full text] Table 2, free-choice, high initial interest: all reward d1 = −0.09 (CI −0.14, −0.04); tangible d1 = −0.17 (CI −0.22, −0.12); expected tangible (offered beforehand) d1 = −0.18 (CI −0.23, −0.13). Unexpected tangible ns.
- [full text] Figure 1 / text: expected tangible offered for doing a task on high-interest activities — free-choice d1 = −0.35 (CI −0.43, −0.27), K = 57, N = 2,910 (homogeneous after outlier removal reported separately in figure). Negative also for "doing well" and "each unit solved"; ns for task-noncontingent, finishing/completing, or attaining/surpassing a score; positive for exceeding others.
- [full text] Authors' summary: overall rewards are not pervasively harmful; negative free-choice effects concentrate when rewards are tangible, expected, and loosely tied to performance (doing / doing well / per unit). Performance-criterion rewards (meet a score; exceed others) leave free-choice unchanged or higher.
- [full text] Approximate magnitude for doing/doing-well: about d = −0.30 → ~47 s less in an 8-min free-choice period (using Pretty & Seligman 1984 SD).
Limits
- [assessment] Laboratory and experimental tasks; outcome is free-choice / self-report motivation, not learning. Coding dispute with Deci et al. 1999 continues. Not preregistered. Self-report often moves opposite to free-choice for expected tangible.
Why it is in the library
Strongest available counter-meta to C22's kill-condition. Used 2026-10-27 extra12 as C22's first kill-condition test: expected tangible rewards for high-interest tasks still lower free-choice (d1 = −0.18 overall expected tangible; d1 = −0.35 for doing), so the kill fails and C22 survives. Contingency carve-outs (performance standards) go into Bounds, not a weaken of the claim's "for doing" wording.
Added 2026-10-27 by the project (extra12). [full text] = read in the full text.
Metadata as recorded
- ID
- MOT-015
- Tier
- meta
- Titel
- Pervasive negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation: The myth continues
- Författare
- Cameron, J.; Banko, K. M.; Pierce, W. D.
- År
- 2001
- Källa/DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392017 (The Behavior Analyst 24(1), 1–44; PMC2731358)
- URL
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2731358/ ; PDF mirror https://behavior.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Pervasive-Negative-Effects.pdf
- Tidskrift
- The Behavior Analyst 24(1), 1–44
- Typ
- meta-analysis of rewards and intrinsic motivation (free-choice and self-report); re-analysis resolving Deci et al. 1999 vs Cameron & Pierce 1994
- Åldersgrupp
- overgripande
- Teman
- motivation-och-nyfikenhet
- Hämtad
- 2026-10-27
- Paywall
- green OA (PMC + society PDF mirror)
- Verifierad
- Crossref DOI 10.1007/BF03392017; numbers from full PDF read 2026-10-27
- Status
- added 2026-10-27 extra12 as C22 kill-condition test survived.
The original files (PDF or abstract) are kept in the project archive and are not published here.