{"id":1307,"date":"2018-09-28T15:28:21","date_gmt":"2018-09-28T19:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=1307"},"modified":"2018-09-28T15:28:21","modified_gmt":"2018-09-28T19:28:21","slug":"drive-get-behind-the-wheel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2018\/09\/drive-get-behind-the-wheel\/","title":{"rendered":"Drive: Get Behind the Wheel"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’ve been lied to.<\/h2>\n

Don’t\u00a0be too upset though, most of us have.<\/p>\n

Remember in that psych class you took there was that whole unit about classical conditioning? All those scientists and researches who spouted the wonders of extrinsic motivation? They were wrong (mostly).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The old theory was that was the best way to improve behavior and increase efficiency was to use extrinsic motivation. The idea behind it is pretty simple. If you see a behavior you like, you reward it (carrot). If you see a behavior you don’t\u00a0like, you punish it (stick). Makes sense right?<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0There is a problem with that idea though. It doesn’t work.<\/p>\n

Extrinsic motivation doesn’t\u00a0produce good creative work<\/h2>\n

When you reward students for their work, they not only lose some of their own (intrinsic) motivation, they also struggle to produce high-quality thoughtful work. Students who would normally be totally content to work hard and learn on their own will respond to a sticker or a grade with less desire to achieve and work hard, not by producing more, better work.<\/p>\n