Punished by Rewards - Essay Example

22 May Rejecting Rewards Popular culture teaches that rewards are good, and the more, the better. Yet there are those in society who reject the norm and seek to define success only in terms of what they want to do and activities they find personally appealing. One might question the logic of these individuals, and challenge them to conform. However, their unorthodox approach to life may be more on track than one might initially presume. One who rejects a reward system that stifles creativity and hinders enjoyment embraces his or her individuality and explores the world in exciting ways.

In his book, Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, As, Praise, and Other Bribes, Alfie Kohn presents a compelling argument against the use of rewards. Kohn discusses the parallels between punishments and rewards and suggests that both are punitive in nature: both exercise control, and if one does not receive the expected reward for any reason, the withholding of the reward is a form of punishment (51-2). Kohn states that “both rewards and punishments induce a behavior pattern whereby we try to impress and curry favor with the person who hands them out” (58).

While many believe “that we are supposed to stop punishing and criticizing and instead attempt to “catch people doing something right” and reward them with privileges or praise”, Kohn offers an alternative to behavioral motivational techniques (50). Reasons for curtailing use of punishments and rewards are numerous. Rewards do not promote collaboration, working together, or a sense of community; they create an environment in which “everyone else is a potential obstacle to one’s own success” (54-5).

Rewards imply that if a reward is necessary, the subject or task must be undesirable (77). Additionally, this perception hinders learning, optimal performance, and the desire to be challenged (159). Kohn states that, “rewards, like punishments, actually undermine the intrinsic motivation that promotes optimal performance” (69).Punishment and reward rely on the idea that motivation is “nothing more than the manipulation of behavior” (51). If this is true, rewards do not address the root causes of the behaviors people want to modify (59-60).

If one does not identify and address the root cause of the behavior, it will continue regardless of the reward or punishment applied. Kohn uses a simple illustration to demonstrate his point; “the question is not whether more flies can be caught with honey than with vinegar, but why the flies are being caught in either case—and how this feels to the fly” (52). People who find motivation within themselves, intrinsically, are often happier than those whose existence relies on others for validation.

Kohn indicates that “extrinsically oriented people, presumably as a result of having been subjected to extrinsic environments, tend to be more depressed and to feel more helpless than intrinsically oriented people” (95).People who are rewarded are less likely to be creative because they “don’t want to risk negative results; they want to succeed as often and as quickly as possible” (64). Furthermore, people generally avoid the natural tendency to succeed at something slightly difficult when offered a reward for completing an easier task (66).

All of these reasons support the idea that curtailing the use of punishment and reward is a good idea. However, there are those who refuse to accept punishment and reward as normal constructs of the human existence. One example is a sixteen-year old boy recently diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD manifests as rebellion against authority, and doctors present it as a neurological condition. The mother of this boy indicates that “all the commonly used parenting skills just don’t work” and “we have to find ways to help him decide that the tasks we want him to do are ones that he wants to do” (Copp).

The common model of punishment and reward is ineffective for this child. However, Kohn’s proposed alternative, identifying and addressing the root cause of the undesired behavior to foster intrinsic motivation, would be far more successful. Instead of embracing the idea that rewards are good, a preferable stance would be to reject the norm and seek to define success in terms of intrinsic value. Rejection of a reward system that focuses on performance, stifles creativity, and hinders enjoyment can produce lasting results in terms of increased knowledge, creativity, productivity, and quality output.

Works CitedCopp, Colleen. Conversation. 15 May 2012.Kohn, Alfie. Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, As, Praise, and Other Bribes . Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. Print.