External rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation for learners who are already motivated¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoreticalr2·q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-21 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q2 i? The review reports, citing Deci (1971) and Hendijani et al. (2016), that external rewards like gifts and prizes can undermine intrinsic motivation and impede long-term motivational development for learners who are already motivated. → Shan Li 2026
Evidence¶
Shan Li 2026¶
Shan Li, Juan Zheng. (2026). Motivational Apprenticeship: An Apprenticeship Framework for Developing Students' Motivational Competencies. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10114-3
q2 · i? · theoretical · r2
Narrative review attribution within the coaching section on positive reinforcement. The article adds that when learners have no motivation at all, external rewards may serve as an appropriate starting point, and recommends informational feedback regardless of initial motivational state.
"Research has shown that external rewards like gifts and prizes can undermine intrinsic motivation and impede long-term motivational development for learners who are already motivated (Deci, 1971; Hendijani et al., 2016)."
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Motivation — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it
Related Claims¶
- Expected tangible rewards reduce later free-choice engagement with a rewarded task, while verbal praise does not — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- The article argues extrinsic rewards such as grades can reduce intrinsic motivation and should be phased out — related
- Extrinsic rewards deplete intrinsic motivation for already-motivated activities once the rewards are removed — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
- Self-determination theory holds that autonomy support raises intrinsic motivation, and a meta-analysis finds expected tangible rewards undermine it — related
- Rewards cause people to lose interest in whatever they were rewarded for doing, undermining intrinsic motivation — related
- Receiving grades is positively associated with achievement and external motivation compared with receiving no performance feedback (review-reported meta-analysis) — related
- Extrinsic motivation to please teachers is positively related to intrinsic motivation among Asian American students but negatively among Caucasian students — related
- Feedback targeting reading self-efficacy had a positive effect on motivation, while error-focused feedback and rewards had mixed effects on long-term interest and engagement — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
external-rewards-undermine-intrinsic-motivation-for-motivated-learners |
title |
External rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation for learners who are already motivated |
description |
External rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation for learners who are already motivated |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2026 |
source_checked |
2026-10-21 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-21 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — shan-li-2026 |
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