Tag: incentives

Extrinsic Rewards Reduce Intrinsic Motivation: Using Psychology to Pick Up More Followers

One of the first blog posts I wrote five years ago: You Get the Behavior You Reward, featured the wonderful book from Alfie Kohn: “Punished by Rewards - The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, As, Praise, and Other Bribes.” Here’s a brief summary of the book from its web site: “Drawing from hundreds of studies, … Continue reading Extrinsic Rewards Reduce Intrinsic Motivation: Using Psychology to Pick Up More Followers →

The Age-Old Debate – Reward vs. Punishment

Dan Ariely's column today addresses the age-old debate - what works better for modifying behavior - punishments or rewards. Here is the email: Dear Dan, One grocery store I shop at charges a nickel for paper bags, while the other gives me a nickel when I bring my own bag. Which approach is more likely … Continue reading The Age-Old Debate – Reward vs. Punishment →

Hey Kids! If Your Parents Start Stealing Your Veggies, Don’t Fall for That Old Trick!

Some of my long-time readers (i.e., my wife and three sons) might know what today is - it's every other Saturday, which means it highly likely that today's blog has something to do with behavioral economist Dan Ariely. For people new to my blog, it's every other Saturday, which means it highly likely that today's … Continue reading Hey Kids! If Your Parents Start Stealing Your Veggies, Don’t Fall for That Old Trick! →

Is There Such Thing as a Free Breakfast?

I finally came across a Dan Ariely answer I agreed with. Or at least I thought so until I read the comments. Here was the question someone had submitted to Dan: My children’s school has a mix of affluent and poor families. Some of the students qualify for free breakfast, but they don’t take advantage … Continue reading Is There Such Thing as a Free Breakfast? →

Behavioral Economist’s Latest Solution to Every Problem? Alcohol

Apparently, alcohol is the answer to all of life's problems. At least that's the impression you might get if you read Dan Ariely's latest column in the Wall Street Journal. Here's the first email he received: Hi, Dan. At work we have a large code base—all the source codes for our computer programs—and it’s managed … Continue reading Behavioral Economist’s Latest Solution to Every Problem? Alcohol →