Reward, distraction, and the overjustification effect.

A number of experiments have recently demonstrated that extrinsic constraints and rewards can produce lower levels of intrinsic interest in subsequent free-choice situations. This effect has been considered to be the result of a shift in the self-perceived locus of motivation from intrinsic to extrinsic but has also been explained as resulting from the distracting qualities of reward procedures. The latter hypothesis implies that reward and nonreward distractors will produce decreases in intrinsic interest and that these decreases will dissipate over multiple-trial procedures as a result of adaptation. On the other hand, the attribution explanation predicts that rewards or other extrinsic constraints will produce decreases in interest that are stable or strengthened over time. The present experiment, using 132 male and female undergraduates, involved manipulation of 3 levels of the reward/distraction variable (reward, nonreward/distraction, and a nonreward/no-distraction control) crossed with 3 levels of initial trial participation (10, 25, or 50 trials). The results indicate that rewards produced a constant decrease in interest over trials, consistent with the attribution explanation. While there was some evidence for a temporary disruption in intrinsic interest due to nonreward distraction, no support was obtained for a distraction interpretation of the effects of rewards on free-choice behavior. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)