Professor Maginty 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 impact the students' motivation?
A) It will increase the creativity of the essays.
B) It will cause students to be motivated to let classmates read their essays before submitting them.
C) It will cause them to write far more than they did the previous day.
D) It is likely to decrease their motivation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Applying an external reward can have a negative impact on intrinsic motivation, as students may now be motivated by the promise of extra credit rather than their own interest in the task itself. This can lead to a decrease in the overall quality of their work and a lack of interest in the activity if the external reward is taken away.

Professor Maginty Asks Her Students to Work on Some Creative