Josephine bought her six-year-old nephew, Joseph, a new set of paints for his birthday. Hoping to encourage the little artist, Josephine promised Joseph one dollar for every painting. Joseph thinks that is quite a lot of money. According to research by Lepper and colleagues (1973) on overjustification effects, which of the following is most likely to occur?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The overjustification effect suggests that if a person is given external rewards for an activity they already find rewarding, they may come to see the activity as a means to gain the external reward rather than for the intrinsic enjoyment of the activity itself. In this case, Joseph might start to view painting primarily as a way to earn money, rather than as an enjoyable activity on its own.

Josephine Bought Her Six-Year-Old Nephew, Joseph, a New Set of Paints