Punished by rewards: the trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A's, praise, and other bribes

Description

The basic strategy we use for raising children, teaching students, and managing workers can be summarized in six words: Do this and you'll get that. We dangle goodies (from candy bars to sales commissions) in front of people in much the same way we train the family pet. Drawing on a wealth of psychological research, Alfie Kohn points the way to a more successful strategy based on working with people instead of doing things to them. "Do rewards motivate people'" asks Kohn. "Yes. They motivate people to get rewards." Seasoned with humor and familiar examples, Punished by Rewards presents an argument unsettling to hear but impossible to dismiss.  Read more... Abstract: The basic strategy we use for raising children, teaching students, and managing workers can be summarized in six words: Do this and you'll get that. We dangle goodies (from candy bars to sales commissions) in front of people in much the same way we train the family pet. Drawing on a wealth of psychological research, Alfie Kohn points the way to a more successful strategy based on working with people instead of doing things to them. "Do rewards motivate people'" asks Kohn. "Yes. They motivate people to get rewards." Seasoned with humor and familiar examples, Punished by Rewards presents an argument unsettling to hear but impossible to dismiss Content: Skinner-Boxed: The legacy of behaviorism -- Is it right to reward? -- Is it effective to reward? -- The trouble with carrots: Four reasons rewards fail -- Cutting the interest rate: The fifth reason rewards fail -- The praise problem -- Pay for performance: Why behaviorism doesn't work in the workplace -- Lures for learning: Why behaviorism doesn't work in the classroom -- Bribes for behaving: Why behaviorism doesn't help children become good people -- Thank God it's Monday: The roots of motivation in the workplace -- Hooked on learning: The roots of motivation in the classroom -- Good kids without goodies -- Appendices.