Book Review: ​Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise,

and Other Bribes

Authors of the Review: Abby Volcansek, Evan Amoroso, Nathan Michaels, Rebecca Kenaga,
Rob Jackson, and Joey Morrow

Table of contents:

Chapter 1 Chapter 7
Chapter 2 Chapter 8
Chapter 3 Chapter 9
Chapter 4 Chapter 10
Chapter 5 Chapter 11
Chapter 6 Chapter 12

Collaborative book review

Chapter 1 (Abby):

Behaviorism is the idea that providing rewards encourages the desired behavior. While
this philosophy has become common practice in schools, parenting, and the workplace, this
chapter argues that it is counterproductive. Rewards are a form of operant conditioning because a
person has a controlled response for the stimulus that comes after the action. The culture and
psychology in the united states is primarily based on pragmatism according to this book. In
schools especially there are many ways teachers use tangible rewards to encourage behaviors.
Behaviorism is an idea that has become natural, accepted, and ingrained in our culture and has
been generalized into many areas because it is effective for short-term results.

- Skinner stated that morality is based on good things having more positive reinforcers and
bad things having more negative reinforcers (Kohn, 1993, page 8)
- “The more rewards are used, the more they seem to be needed” (Kohn, 1993, page 17)
- “Promising goodies to people we want to change seems familiar to us because other
traditions and beliefs are based on a similar way of thinking” (Kohn, 1993, page 14)
- Rewards and punishments are at the center of economic rationalization (Kohn, 1993,
page 14)
- Verbal praise is an important aspect of positive reinforcement (Kohn, 1993, page 13)

Questions:
 - How can teachers balance having different styles of discipline with what the students
experience at home with their parents?
- How can teachers motivate students to participate in the class with no motivation of the
short term reward?

Chapter 2 (Abby)​:

This book explains the American ideology in relation to behaviorism that those who
work hard enough will succeed in their endeavors and those who fail can be held accountable
and the results are in direct relation to their actions or lack thereof. Social psychologists have
defined this as a “just world view”, or “equity principle” meaning that every person has done
something to deserve their outcomes. (page 20) In accordance with this theory, rewarding for
deserving behaviors should be encouraged. There have been many questions that have
challenged this theory and how it is determined who is deserving of rewards. According to the
book, giving rewards does an injustice to the person on the receiving end because by doing so we
assume they will not act unless given external motivators. (page 26) According to the author, this
act is essentially dehumanizing because it discredits the natural human instinct for exploration,
learning, and the desire to be self motivated.

- Behaviorists have observed and done experiments with rats and other animals to analyze
behavior and relate that research to human behavior patterns. (Kohn, 1993, page 24)
- The “equity principle” is limited to few social circumstances. (Kohn, 1993, page 22)
- “If one person controls another, the two individuals have unequal status” (Kohn, 1993,
page 28)
- Rewarding is “to frame learning as something one does in exchange for a prize rather
than something intrinsically valuable” (Kohn, 1993, page 23)

Questions:

- Is it more effective for teachers to give students grades based on specific achievements or
effort, participation, and individual growth in the music classroom?
- What are ways teachers can encourage a students natural inclination to learn through self
exploration and feel confident doing so?

Chapter 3 (Evan): Is it Effective to Reward?

Summary: Chapter 3 discusses the effectiveness of rewards with regard to different age groups
and various circumstances. While behaviorists believe that humans’ actions are paramount,
actions are based in morals, character, ambition, and other personality traits that affect what we
do and how we choose to do it. Rewards often discourage long term behavioral growth across all
age groups and scenarios, as behavioral change/progress only continues as long as rewards
continue to be provided. Because long term behavioral change is desired to eventually become
intrinsic (ex. we want our children to be polite and help other people without needing to be
rewarded or given something in exchange for their help/courtesy), rewards almost always result
in diminishing returns when it comes to actual change in behavior. Additionally, in several
studies it was found that groups that were offered rewards for completing desired
actions/exhibiting certain behaviors performed worse in the long run, as the reward groups
quickly began prioritizing physical rewards over the natural reward of improving in a certain
area (i.e. quitting smoking or losing weight). In many studies across all age groups, individuals
offered rewards for their actions performed significantly worse than those individuals who were
not offered any rewards for the completion of the desired tasks.
Key Points:
- Rewards can be beyond useless -- they are often counterproductive (Kohn, 1993, p. 42)
- Groups that are rewarded for certain actions consistently perform worse than non
rewarded groups
- Rewards stymie long term behavioral growth/change
- Rewards only promote good behavior as long as they can be consistently provided (those
receiving rewards may want more abundant/more frequent rewards in exchange for the
same result)
Questions:
- How can individuals be weaned off of rewards so they begin exhibiting desired
characteristics without the need for constant rewards? (is this even possible?)
- How can incentive plans (like in the managerial examples in the chapter) be implemented
in a manner that is actually healthy for employees and promotes a long term beneficial
change in work ethic/overall work environment? (again, is this possible?)
Chapter 4 (Evan): The Trouble with Carrots: Four Reasons Rewards Fail
Summary: This chapter discusses the ways in which rewards are detrimental to those who
receive them as incentives to complete certain tasks/exhibit desired behaviors. Kohn posits that
“rewards and punishments are not opposites; they are two sides of the same coin” (Kohn, 1993,
p.50). With both techniques, they elicit actions that are atypical for the person in question and
require the “stakes to be raised” in order to keep achieving the same behavioral result. Rewards
also create an inequality in relationships, as the person providing rewards assumes a level of
control over the other and their behavior. This is unhealthy, at it creates unnatural imbalance in
relationships that would otherwise be equal. Rewards also cause those that receive them to
disregard the reason they should be behaving a certain way, and instead focus solely on acting a
certain way to receive an incentive. This makes it harder to instill long term behavior change in
an individual, as they cannot see why they would want to/ need to change, and only alter their
behavior in search of further rewards and praise. Lastly, being promised rewards or incentives
causes us to approach tasks less holistically, as we instead try to bulldoze through “X” aspect of
the task so that we can quickly receive the reward we are promised. This discourages risk-taking
and full completion of tasks at hand.
Key Points:
- Rewards, while technically more morally sound than punishments, result in a lot of the
same long term issues that punishments do
- Rewards cause imbalance in otherwise balanced relationships
- Rewards cause recipients to disregard the “why” in favor of simply acting a certain way
knowing that that behavior results in incentive
- Rewards discourage learners/workers from taking risks and trying things outside of what
they may be rewarded for
Questions:
- Can business relationships in which incentives/rewards are used be considered
equal/balanced if both people incentivize certain behaviors performed by the other? Is
this a constructive technique, or does this just pose its own problems (that rewards
inherently place power in the hands of one party over the other, and are not at all
constructive to an equal relationship)?
Chapter 5 (Nathan): Cutting The Interest Rate: The Fifth Reason Rewards Fail
Summary: Systems based on rewarding students conditions them only to be interested in work
when offered a reward. Research started to first appear in the 1970’s that found students who
were regularly rewarded became conditioned to that reward. This means that students would no
longer complete the same task with the same quality without money. However, students who had
no reward to begin with would complete the task with a similar level of quality of those who
were rewarded for their work. Intrinsic rewards are more reliable than extrinsic rewards, and
extrinsic rewards can often lessen or negate the effect of future intrinsic rewards on their own.
Key Points:
- Consistent use extrinsic motivators can make one dependent on them (Kohn, 1993, p. 72)
- Extrinsic rewards are most useful when the subject has little of the specific reward.
(Kohn, 1993, p. 76)
- Anything seen as a prerequisite for something else automatically seems less desirable
(Kohn, 1993, p. 76)
- Two kinds of motivation are NOT better than one (Kohn, 1993, p. 81)
- Offer rewards after the fact, as a surprise (Kohn, 1993, p. 92)
Question:
- How do we as educators foster the interest in students necessary for intrinsic motivators
to be effective?
- Can extrinsic motivators kick-start interest in students to make future intrinsic motivators
possible?
Chapter 6 (Nathan): The Praise Problem
Summary: Praise can be a useful tool to build confidence if used used sparingly and specifically.
If used too often, it can turn into a form of extrinsic reward, while if used in a nonspecific
manner, it can lessen the effect of future praise, and sometimes having the opposite effect on
children compared to what was intended.
Key Points:
- Praise is not a sole supplement for extrinsic rewards (Kohn, 1993, p. 97)
- Using praise in situation where the student feels they don’t deserve it lessens its future
effect. (Kohn, 1993, p. 98)
- Praise can become a verbal form of extrinsic reward. (Kohn, 1993, p. 101)
- Self Determination (Kohn, 1993, p. 106)
- Four Practical suggestions (Kohn, 1993, p. 108-109):
1. Don’t praise people; only what people do
2. Make praise as specific as possible
3. Avoid phony praise
4. Avoid praise that sets up competition
Questions:
- What are some indicators that a specific student does or does not respond well to praise?
- What do you believe the general position of society is on the giving praise?
- How does this information contradict previous notions held by society?

Chapter 7 (Rebecca): Pay for Performance: Why Behaviorism Doesn’t Work in the Workplace
Summary: Pop behaviorism reigns over the American workplace. It may be subtle, through
Christmas bonuses or quiet congratulations from a boss, but extrinsic motivation is the most
prevalent system used in corporations throughout the nation. Higher-ups witness the lack of
success gained from point systems and merit pay and generally decide to implement a different
form of extrinsic motivation instead of evaluating other potential systems. There are many
reasons describing why these plans are likely to fail (listed below in Key Points). Because of
ease, many businesses stick with the same system, even though intrinsic motivation improves
morale, quality of work, collaboration between peers, and production efficiency.
Key Points:
- Theory X: Douglas McGregor’s name for the idea that individuals inherently aren’t
productive and must be either rewarded or punished to encourage work. (Kohn, 1993, p.
121)
- Many earlier studies showing positive correlation between rewards and work were based
on quantity of production, not quality of production. (Kohn, 1993, p. 124)
 - In a study where a long-standing merit system was removed, production decreased
immediately but soon after grew to the same level if not more than what it had been.
(Kohn, 1993, p. 125)
- When reward systems fail, the typical reaction is to look for a new system or find a way
to apply it differently. Employers rarely question if it is the extrinsically-based reward
system fueling unproductivity. (Kohn, 1993, p. 127)
- Reasons why incentive plans fail: (Kohn, 1993, p. 127-140)
1. Employees are doing well enough that rewards are not needed.
2. Employees assume their coworkers are making more than they are resulting in a
loss of motivation and morale.
3. Inconsistencies between compensation and an employee’s performance.
4. The rewards are too expensive.
5. Smaller bonuses are less meaningful, but bigger bonuses go to less people.
6. Short-term incentives can hinder a company’s growth, but employees might fail to
make the connection between their work and long-term incentives.
7. Compensations might be so based on protocol that they don’t serve an employee’s
integrity, or they might be influenced by personal opinions.
8. Assessments of performance can be inaccurate, resulting in incorrect and unfair
pay.
9. Employees aren’t as motivated by monetary rewards as expected.
10. Rewarding some employees automatically punishes others; when employees lose
access to their reward, they are also punished. Punishing lack of productivity
doesn’t increase motivation, it produces defiance and anger.
11. Rewards cause tension between equal rank peers and decrease efficient and
effective teamwork.
12. Rewards don’t provide influential feedback and therefore a means for growth.
13. When rewards are involved, employees will refrain from going above and
beyond, only working to receive the reward.
14. Rewards take away from intrinsic motivation.
- There is a trend supported by research suggesting employees search and long for intrinsic
motivators when looking for or evaluating their jobs (variety, interesting work, personal
growth, decision making). (Kohn, 1993, p. 131)
Questions:
- As employees, how can we handle and progress past a working environment based
primarily on extrinsic motivators while maintaining integrity towards our students’
personal learning experiences?
- Are there experiences you can draw upon as an employee that resonate with the above
trends regarding extrinsic motivation and decrease in workplace satisfaction?
Chapter 8 (Rebecca): Lures for Learning: Why Behaviorism Doesn’t Work in the Classroom
Summary: Children enter the school system with a natural zest for life that slowly diminishes as
extrinsic motivators become more and more involved in their schooling. Extrinsic motivation
encompasses forms of praise, physical rewards, special recognitions, or anything else that isn’t
produced by the learner. Students who develop in classrooms or home situations that remove
their personal ability for autonomy and control over their own learning processes suffer from
many negative effects, creating an overall distaste for learning and school. This is especially
noticeable in special education classrooms, where much of the day is spent on behavior
modification, earning points, and tracking charts instead of developing more functional life skills
and knowledges or creative expression. However, students that are able to tap into their own
creative centers, receive constructive feedback instead of comparison-based assessments, and
have the potential to control and dictate their own learning experiences perform better overall
and have stronger senses of self.
Key Points:
- As children age, there is a general shift towards extrinsic motivation that suppresses their
natural curiosity. (Kohn, 1993, p. 144)
- Learning is more productive and effective when the motivation is intrinsic and students
want to learn. (Kohn, 1993, p. 144)
- Extrinsic motivation -- parent/teacher approval, stickers, grades, etc. -- decreases intrinsic
motivation and students. (Kohn, 1993, p. 148)
- Environments where students feel controlled and lack personal autonomy lead to feelings
of helplessness, low self-esteem, anxiety, and little intrinsic motivation. (Kohn, 1993, p.
150)
- Extrinsic motivation is even more significantly a problem in special education.
Differently-abled students often are subjected to behavior modification instead of being
given the opportunity to become independent, self-motivated learners. (Kohn, 1993, p.
154)
Questions:
- In a classroom with differently-abled individuals, how can we better balance moderation
of behaviors with educational experiences, avoiding point-systems and other extrinsic
motivators?
- How could you inspire various students of different backgrounds to want to participate in
music classes when the motivation seems to be lacking?
- How can we show individuals that music classes hold the same weight as other classes
and aren’t just easy electives to skim through while instilling lifelong dedication and
appreciation of music?
Chapter 9 (Rob): Bribes for Behaving: Why Behaviorism Doesn’t Help Children Become Good
People
Summary:
Key Points:
Questions:

Chapter 10 (Rob): Thank God It’s Monday: The Roots of Motivation in the Workplace
Summary:
Key Points:
Questions:

Chapter 11 (Joey): Hooked on Learning

Paragraph summary:
Students are naturally motivated and curious about learning new things. It is job of the
teacher to use techniques that do not damper the students’ excitement and to avoid placing the
focus on extrinsic motivation tactics, such as grades. Allowing students to collaborate, focusing
on content that is worthwhile for the students, and giving students the opportunity to decide what
they would like to work on is most effective strategy in enhancing the students’
self-determination.

Key points:
- “...children do not need to be motivated. From the beginning they are hungry to make
sense of their world” (Kohn, 1993, p. 198-199).
- “The problem is not that grades don’t say enough about people’s performance; it’s that
the process of grading fixes their attention ​on​ their performance” (Kohn,1993, p. 202).

Discussion questions:
- Describe a system in a classroom setting that will allow for feedback and evaluation
without the use of a grading system.
- If a student is not especially interested in a particular content area, what are some ways to
get them to participate in learning without the use of rewards and punishment?

Chapter 12(Joey): Good Kids Without Goodies

Paragraph summary:
When a student does not do what is asked of them, many parents and teachers think that it
is because the child has misbehaved and is in need of a punishment. This is not a reliable strategy
because studies have shown that students will act out more often over time, as this is only a
temporary solution at best. A more successful long-term approach is to talk to the child about
what they did wrong with them and explain why it is not an appropriate behavior. This dialogue
humanizes the child and makes them more likely to follow the request rather than a demand.

Key points:
- “Researchers keep finding that a heavy-handed approach is not only less effective but
also more likely to be associated with disruptive and aggressive behavior patterns when
the child is away from home” (Kohn, 1993, p. 230).
- “An atmosphere of respect rather than coercion, a commitment to work with children on
developing a capacity to behave well, a willingness to figure out has gone wrong and to
fix it together - these add up to an approach that is not only nicer but far more likely to
produce lasting results” (Kohn, 1993, p. 232).

Discussion questions:
- Is there a modified use of punishment that allows for the student to learn the reason that
the behavior was inappropriate? If so, would this modified use of punishment be more
effective than no punishment?

KOHN, A. (2018). ​PUNISHED BY REWARDS: 25th anniversary edition​. S.l.: MARINER

BOOKS.

Collaborative review:

The goal of this book is to show how behaviorism affects people in various areas of
performance, such as the classroom and the workplace, and inspire readers to reevaluate their
methods of inspiring quality performance and production in their subjects. Kohn uses this book
to stress the importance of intrinsic motivation in learning and content, collaboration, and choice
when in a classroom setting. He treats extrinsic motivators as possibly the worst thing that could
happen to creative education. Any parent, boss in a corporate business, teacher, or any other
leader can benefit from discovering more about how behaviorism can affect a person’s learning
or working process. By educating themselves, leaders can develop healthier, more beneficial, and
more effective ways to produce desired results (whether those desired results are higher factory
production rates, more creative advertisements, or higher retention of vocabulary words). The
back cover highlights the main points of the thesis by referencing how the author demonstrates
that rewards and punishments are effective for short term results. However, they are
counterproductive because they cause the person on the receiving end to be less motivated to
produce quality work in the long run. It mentions that this book has been groundbreaking in
areas of education, business, and other areas since its publication in 1993. The title of the book
states the main point of the thesis which is the issues of implementing external motivators (i.e.,
“Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes”) to persuade a person to complete an
objective or goal. Kohn has published fourteen books on related issues. The author uses quotes
throughout the book from notable behaviorists and other psychologists (such as B.F. Skinner) to
support his ideas. Instead of using graphs and charts to explain and reiterate the concepts
discussed, Kohn uses real-world examples to highlight the issues. He also provides statistics
from different research studies to ensure validity in his statements The book takes a
student-centered approach to learning that focuses on self-motivation and exploration. It follows
a more progressive and gentler approach to learning and education. Kohn heavily emphasizes the
fact that children enter school systems and their educational journey with a strong natural
curiosity to question and discover more about the world around them, and throughout the course
of their schooling, that beautiful aspect of education slowly dies as teachers offer grades and
rewards for assessments instead of providing feedback and opportunities for growth.