What is a common con of tangible rewards?

• A. Less Effective and Can Undermine Intrinsic Motivation
• B. More Effective and Increase Pride and Positivity
• C. Simple to Administer and Never Backfire
• D. Always Leads to Higher Intrinsic Motivation

Answer: (A)

Tangible rewards often undermine intrinsic motivation because they shift why a person engages in a task from enjoying it or finding personal value to simply earning a reward. This is known as the overjustification effect: when an external reward is introduced for an activity that someone already finds interesting, their natural interest can diminish. As a result, while rewards might boost short-term compliance, they can reduce long-term engagement, persistence, and creativity, especially once the reward is gone or expected. In essence, the common drawback is that tangible rewards are less effective overall and can undermine intrinsic motivation.