In 1973, psychologists Mark R. Lepper and David Greene wanted to understand the impact of rewards on motivation. They recruited 51 preschoolers aged 3 to 4, all of whom loved drawing. It was crucial that they already liked drawing because Lepper and Greene wanted to see what effect rewards would have when children were already fond of the activity.
The children were then randomly assigned to one of the following groups:
Expected reward: These children were told they would get a certificate with a gold seal and ribbon if they took part
Surprise reward: The children received the same reward as above but weren’t told about it until after the drawing activity was finished
No reward: Children in this condition expected no reward, and didn’t receive one
Each child was invited into a separate room to draw for 6 minutes then afterward either given their reward or not depending on their group. Then, over the next few days, the children were watched through one-way mirrors to see how much they would continue drawing of their own accord.
Surprisingly, the children who expected a reward had decreased the amount of time (and interest) by half! While the children from the other two groups showed no significant change in interest. Not only this but the pictures drawn by the children expecting a reward were now less aesthetically pleasing.
What went wrong?
We live in a time where so many people, especially children, stress over school exams and subjects that did not even exist until the 19th century. Does it have to be this way though?
The current education system was developed to meet the demands of the industrial revolution. As factories started producing goods in large volumes, the requirement for skilled labor went up, and the world needed a way to supply such people to the system otherwise there would be no growth. But to err is human and even this system ended up in problems.
To get the children motivated to learn tough skills and follow rules, the education system is based on extrinsic rewards and punishments (extrinsic is the keyword). Those who follow rules and study well are rewarded by the system, just like the preschoolers rewarded for drawing, and to make it worse, the outliers are punished. This switches children’s motivation from intrinsic (internal love and curiosity for the task) to extrinsic (external rewards like grades and money). Slowly, this kills the enjoyment derived in learning and every action becomes a way to reach the reward.
We admit that the education problem is not limited to rewards, but this is one of the greatest contributors to unhappiness and demotivation in modern lives. When children conditioned by such a system enter a job, where an even bigger reward, salary, is waiting for them, the problem only gets worse. Author Nassim Nicholas Taleb wrote: “The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.”
Anyone who does things from extrinsic motivation is bound to do the bare minimum, just like the preschoolers whose time spent in drawing dropped by 50%. And nothing great can ever come out of “bare minimum” efforts. Such a person might succeed in achieving the extrinsic reward they seek, like a higher salary or status, but the feeling of intrinsic happiness will always be left as a void.
What can you do when the whole system seems wrong?
First, remember, “to err is human.” There is no need to hate the education system. The system tried to solve the skilled labor problem, and some unexpected things broke down. For now, digging beyond this will only worsen your hatred and do you more harm than to anyone else. And we certainly don’t want that.
Second, reignite your passion and curiosity. Maybe you love drawing, writing, or seeing the night sky. Reconnect with what attracts you. This will strengthen your muscle to work under intrinsic motivation. Pick a side project to work on something you love. Not only will this bring ecstasy (flow) to you, but it will also boost your mood in ways that will improve other aspects of life as well 😊
Last but not the least, think about the “Why?” behind your work. Why does it matter? Whom are you ultimately serving, your customers, clients, etc.? Look at the bigger picture and visualize the way your work is adding value to other lives.
Since changing the education system means risking the workforce supply to global industries, it is bound to take time. It’s indeed a complex machine. But you’re free to start with changing what is in your control. And if you are a policymaker, reach out to us (Surreal Works). We’ve got some ideas 😉
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”