

Can Students Be Paid to Excel? - rms
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/nyregion/05incentive.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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phaedrus
What about the psychological principle that giving someone an external
motivation to something wipes out their internal motivation to do it?

What about dealing with the cultural problem in American schools that makes it
"uncool" to be smart instead of being a jock?

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rms
>What about dealing with the cultural problem in American schools that makes
it "uncool" to be smart instead of being a jock?

This actually deals with that very well. Doing well on tests became much more
socially acceptable when money was involved.

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oPerrin
There are some fairly strong reinforcement schedules which can create
motivation, however they rely on one of two things.

1\. The desire for the reinforcer never wanes.

or

2\. The reward continually increases in value.

The first is brutal, the second unsustainable.

Highly internally motivated people can also be described as continually
discontent. They fall into the first category.

Highly externally motivated people are often lazy in repose and
obsessive/addictive in play.

-Ian

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mds
Can employees?

