Rewards in Education

Question 1

What are the two types of motivation for learning?

Answer 1

1) Intrinsic - behaviors/involvement for own sake
- High Intrinsic motivation has demonstrated to relate to school satisfaction and more positive emotions in classroom

2) Extrinsic - behaviors performed to achieve externally prized consequence(s), not out of desire for mastery/interest

Question 2

What are the two ‘degrees of choice’ (Deci & Ryan, 2002)?

Answer 2

1) Self-determined - behaviors chosen for intrinsic reasons
2) Controlling - behavior individuals engage in because of internal or external pressure to conform to a set standard or meet a particular standard

Question 3

What’s the distinction between AUTONOMOUS & CONTROLLING actions?

Why does do it matter?

Answer 3

Functional Significance - the subjective perception of WHY an action takes place

Deci & Ryan argue, “a person’s perception of an event is an ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION influenced by all kinds of factors” (p. 123).

Therefore, it is plausible a teacher CAN shape a student’s intrinsic motivation for a particular task, which may even lead the student towards adopting more self-determined behaviors in the academic setting

Question 4

What factors influence a student’s functional significance? (p. 129)

Answer 4

1. Nature of the Materials
2. Task Constraints
3. Teacher Expectations
4. Student Expectations
5. Evaluation
6. REWARDS

Question 5

B.F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning

1) What are operant behaviors?
2) What is REINFORCEMENT?
3) What is PUNISHMENT?

Answer 5

1) Operant behaviors are actions that individuals take to meet the demands of their environment
2) Reinforcement (reinforcer) - any consequence that STRENGTHENS (increases frequency of) a behavior
3) Punishment- any consequence that WEAKENS (decreases frequency of) a behavior

Question 6

Name the Consequence!

1) Receiving an A+ on a paper
2) Excused from chores for a day
3) After-school detention
4) No TV for a week

Answer 6

1) A+ = POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT - stimulus PRESENTED to encourage behavior
2) Excused Chores = NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT - stimulus REMOVED to encourage behavior
3) Detention = PRESENTATION PUNISHMENT- stimulus REMOVED to suppress behavior
4) No TV = REMOVAL PUNISHMENT - stimulus WITHHELD to suppress behavior

reinforcement - encourages behavior
punishment - suppresses behavior

Question 7

Name the type of Intermittent Reinforcement Schedule

A) Weekly quiz
B) Giving students tokens for being on task throughout the day
C) Receiving advanced colored belt in karate
D) Students called upon at random when raising their hands

Answer 7

A) Weekly quiz - FIXED INTERVAL

B) Giving students tokens for being on task throughout the day - VARIABLE INTERVAL

C) Receiving advanced colored belt in karate - FIXED RATIO

D) Students called upon at random when raising their hands - VARIABLE RATIO

Question 8

What are the 6 recommendations for REINFORCEMENT BEHAVIOR?

Answer 8

1) Reinforce IMMEDIATELY after DESIRED behavior
2) Use most effective, LEAST TANGIBLE reinforcer
3) be CONSISTENT - set up a SCHEDULE
4) Make reinforcement process INFORMATIONAL
5) Try reinforcement before punishment
6) Use reinforcement to SHAPE behavior

Question 9

How would a teacher SHAPE a student’s behavior?

Answer 9

1) REINFORCE any response resembling TARGET behavior
2) Commit to a cycle of only REINFORCING the responses that more closely approximate the target behavior until…
3) ONLY reinforce TARGET behavior

Question 10

What are the 3 Foundational Studies on motivation & rewards?

Answer 10

1) DECI -
found that students not WITHOUT reward were MORE engaged in problem solving (even when not required to) than those that received $

2) LEPPER -
found that the preschoolers showed LACK of INTEREST in drawing with markers after receiving a RECOGNITION RIBBON for using markers

3) CAMERON & PIERCE -
found REWARDS only had NEGATIVE effect on INTRINSIC MOTIVATION when the rewards were TANGIBLE and promised withOUT regard to PERFORMANCE

Question 11

Why is Kohn against rewards?

Answer 11

Belief # 1 -
Rewards are “not attempts to INFLUENCE or persuade or SOLVE problems” together, but simply to CONTROL

Belief #2 -
Rewards change the WAY we do things and offer ONE reason for doing it, which can DISPLACE other motivations, and could change ATTITUDES toward activity

Belief #3 -
CONSISTENT reinforcements have ADVERSE effect on AUTONOMY

Question 12

What are the 8 EFFECTS OF REWARDS?

Answer 12

1 - INFORMATIONAL PRAISE, if used correctly, can increase motivation

2 - UNEXPECTED REWARDS (variable schedule is more effective)

3 - avoid TANGIBLE rewards (esp. for something student already finds interesting)

4 - rewards may DECREASE INTRINSIC motivation when given for COMPLETION of tasks; thus, rewards should be continent upon meeting a STANDARD or advanced LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE

5 - when INITIAL INTERES in a task is low, rewards may increase ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT

6 - rewards may squelch risk-taking (if used-improperly)

7 - DECREASES in INTRINSIC motivation are high when rewards are highly SALIENT

8 - Depending on CONTEXT, rewards may hinder CREATIVITY

Question 13

What are the main findings from Nietfeld’s paper “Elementary Teachers Use & Perception of Rewards in the Classroom?

Answer 13

Results of sampled teachers revealed:

• ALL teachers use some form of REWARDS, mostly TANGIBLE rewards
• only 1/3 of teachers argued that rewards should be used CONDITIONALLY
• most FREQUENT rewards were given for BEHAVIOR ISSUES without an established connection between rewards FOR BEHAVIOR and ACHIEVEMENT
• PERFORMANCE GOAL ORIENTATIONS for teaching =
  Positively related to –
  - the use of TANGIBLE REWARDS
  - higher degree of classroom CONTROL

          Negatively related to --
                     - teacher self- efficacy