Seven-year-old Eli loves to draw and is quite talented. When his grandfather comes over for dinner, Eli draws a beautiful picture and presents it as a gift to Grandpa. "Well isn't that beautiful? How about if I give you a quarter for this wonderful drawing?", Grandpa asks. Eli's parents don't interfere, but they frown at the idea that Eli is getting a reward for doing something that he loves to do. Which social psychology concept is at the heart of the parents' discomfort?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The overjustification effect explains the parents' discomfort, as it refers to the phenomenon where providing external rewards for an activity that is already intrinsically rewarding can decrease a person's intrinsic motivation to perform that activity. They might be concerned that Eli will start drawing only when he is offered a reward, rather than for the sheer joy of it.

Seven-Year-Old Eli Loves to Draw and Is Quite Talented