Professor Armistead asks her students to work on some creative writing in class one day, giving them the freedom to write about anything that interests them. They all do very good work and submit excellent, creative essays. The next day, she asks them to do the same thing but promises them all extra credit if their work is very good. How will applying an external reward to the writing assignment impact the students' motivation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Applying an external reward (extra credit) to an activity that was previously intrinsically motivating (creative writing) is likely to decrease the students' motivation. This is because the students may now see the task as being done solely for the reward, rather than for the enjoyment and satisfaction of the task itself. They may also become less interested in the task if they feel that they are only doing it for the reward, rather than out of their own personal interest.

Professor Armistead Asks Her Students to Work on Some Creative