The basic strategy we use for raising children, teaching students, and managing workers can be summarized in six words: do this and you'll get that...
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Aug 12, 2007
Elizabeth
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A lot of what the author says - that the use of rewards as motivators (for children, students, employees, etc.) is not only ineffective, but often detrimental to morale and motivation - makes a lot of sense, and certainly represents a fresh perspective. Despite this, however, I couldn't shake a lingering feeling of disagreement. Not that I don't believe his arguments...but I also don't think he leaves enough room for individual difference. For example, while I do agree with him that intrinsic
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Feb 04, 2009
Cordes
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The title and length of this book may throw off most people, but this is one of those books which has transformed my thinking of society and the world. This is a book about how humans are motivated, and I think it is relevant to explain and understand world issues from the mistakes the Americans made in managing Iraq to how to raise my child to be a loving and caring member of society. In a nutshell, Kohn explains that almost every aspect of society is based on behavioral psychology, or the pr
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Jan 09, 2012
Jen
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In Punished by Rewards, Alfie Kohn challenges many of the sacred ideas that fuel our modern culture. Despite the widespread use of both punishments and rewards, the evidence is strong that neither approach is very effective at motivating people. From the corporate world to the classroom, the tradition of behaviorism is almost ubiquitous, where gold stars, grades, prizes and even cash are dangled before people under the common perception that doing so will improve their performance.
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May 31, 2010
nitin
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There were some important lessons in this book.
* Be careful of using extrinsic factors as a manager, teacher, or parent. by promoting, "if you do this, then you will get that" does not develop intrinsically motivated people.
* Rewards, praise, and incentives can sometimes be just as damaging as punishments.
* It is important to be thoughtful, supportive, and proactive in understanding the underlying issues of a problem rather than addressing the symptoms.
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* Be careful of using extrinsic factors as a manager, teacher, or parent. by promoting, "if you do this, then you will get that" does not develop intrinsically motivated people.
* Rewards, praise, and incentives can sometimes be just as damaging as punishments.
* It is important to be thoughtful, supportive, and proactive in understanding the underlying issues of a problem rather than addressing the symptoms.
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May 31, 2010
Marshall
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I didn't give this book a 5 for fantastic writing. Although, Kohn is funny and insightful at times but he is also kind of repetitive (if you only read the first 5 chapters you'd learn everything you needed to know about the problem with rewards). The ideas in this book rang true to me as I read them. For example, achieving short-term compliance from my kids by offering them rewards (go get ready for bed without a fight and I'll read you stories until 7:30) is not only manipulative and selfish mo
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Jan 13, 2011
Beth
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This book blew me away. It has made me rethink so many things I've come to accept as just "the way things are" and realize the Skinnerian world in which we were all raised. "Do this, and you get that" is such a given and such an easy quick fix to the way we obtain compliance as teachers, parents, or employers. But does it really work? and if so, for how long? and at what cost?
I am grateful to have read this book while my children are still young and I have a More...
I am grateful to have read this book while my children are still young and I have a More...
Mar 25, 2011
Brittney
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To sum it up, this book is how we are slaves and make each other slaves to rewards when, if fact rewards are actaully shown to decrease intrinsic motivation. Case studies showed children who were given a reward if they played with certain toys and then, once that reward was taken, the children were turned off to that toy. When I read it, I loved it. It seemed inspired and appealed to my soft spot for rebellion. I felt that the this might what was wring with public education.
Now, that More...
Now, that More...
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May 08, 2009
Beth A.
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I love parenting books, and I love exploring different ideas on how to parent , but this one was more difficult for me. The first few chapters are based on the assumption that no one human has the right to control another person. The idea is abhorrent to Kohn. This may be true in the workplace, but for parenting and to a lesser degree schooling, there are times when even the most lenient parent must have some control. You can’t exactly reason with a two year old that running in the street isn’t
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Apr 10, 2009
Sherry (sethurner)
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It has been a while since I read Alfie Kohn's book. I heard him speak at a teachers' convention and was intrigued by his assertion that teachers and parents kill children's motivation by offering rewards/bribes. So, candy, stickers, certificates, cash and other incentives really don't motivate! It went along with my casual observation that students to whom I sent commendations soon lost their commendabe behaviors, and it went along with a university class I took in the 80's about motivational
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Jul 18, 2011
Amanda
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What an insightful book! It really makes you stop and look at what the world, our schools, and our homes are teaching kids by bribing and rewarding every little things they do! Kids are becoming entitled and they know it too. As a teacher it has made me rethink and change how I reward kids in my class. I want the focus of learning to be about the enjoyment of learning. Not about trying to earn the next sticker on a chart on the wall. Rewards and Punishments have their place in life, but I feel t
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Jun 26, 2010
Josh
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The thesis of this book is that when offered a reward to do something that is inherently interesting we lose interest in that thing. External motivations diminish intrinsic motivations. They are also controlling and not very respectful of the humanity of whomever you are trying to get to do something. I believe that his observations explain why so many of my students just do the bare minimum to get by; they are working for their grade and not much else. Still, grades and the sorting of human bei
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Oct 13, 2010
David
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What a great book! I have long been bothered by the question, "How do you motivate people?" And the answer is here--you cannot motivate people with extrinsic rewards. You can only set up situations so that the motivation comes from within, intrinsically. You must do this by giving the person control over decisions, over his life. Incentives, rewards, grades, and punishments remove personal control; they work in the short term, but when the incentives are stopped, the desired behavio
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Jan 28, 2010
Victoria
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This book was great! A good critique of mainstream education. Alfie Kohn always rocks my world, challenging societal norms on parenting an education. Now I know what was wrong with my education. Reading this book has made the hunt for a preschool for my 3 year old very difficult, I don't know how I am going to get through her education given the damaging education system. Home school or unschooling seems to be the only options when the school district we live in is getting rid of alternative pro
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Aug 15, 2011
Steve
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A must-read for educators and parents concerned about the damaging effects of using rewards, prizes, and other extrinsic motivators to manage or raise children. Citing numerous research studies, Kohn argues that rewards are both ineffective, because they lead only to short-term compliance as opposed to the development of positive long-term habits, and destructive, because their use contains many serious side effects. Most notably, rewards reduce the intrinsic motivation to learn and to grow th
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Nov 27, 2011
Do rewards motivate people? Absolutely. They motivate people to get rewards
Definitely glad to have read this book. I hope that having read this book I can avoid the trap of "I like how you did Nice Thing X".
Dunno, maybe it just gels so nicely with my general world view and it's just
Apr 10, 2011
kat
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In a certain way, this book was one of the most interesting I've ever read. Its main ideas were refreshing and surprising: Rewards demotivate people. Praise can do the same, plus insult them to boot. Kids learn better when they can work in groups. Students benefit from being allowed to make choices about what and how they learn. Our desire for "obedience" needs closer examination, starting with asking whether our requests are reasonable.
In another way, this was one of the m More...
In another way, this was one of the m More...
Aug 29, 2010
Clint
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A great book. The book is written for two audiences, educators and business professionals. I only had to read the sections that pertained to education, but after reading them, I am curious to know if the business world is like the education world. I will not praise Alfie for writing a well informed book, but simply acknowledge that it is. Teaching second grade, I can already see in 7yr olds how praise, rewards, and other behavior manipulators have altered there perspective of life. The "
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Jun 12, 2008
Julie
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This is an excellent book. If only there was a way that public education and parenting would work together to teach our children in the way this book presents. WOW!!! Imagine the world we would live in and the people that would be in our government if we were able to follow the guidance of this book. This book helps you see how we are punishing our children by using rewards for every little thing. The author breaks it down into three categories: parents,teachers,and employees. It's not that
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Mar 27, 2008
Sharlee
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As a college student, I had been very interested in Alfie Kohn's philosophies. After graduating and getting a job much sooner than expected, I decided to read this book. I am amazed by how much we control other people with rewards. I've never been a fan of behaviorism...in any form. Which doesn't make me widely popular as a teacher. My students were stunned when I took over and explained that I do not give treats for asking questions or learning. I also explained to them that they are not dogs a
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Oct 21, 2009
Lisa
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This was the first Alfie Kohn book that I read, and I quickly became a fan. (While I was reading this book, I'm sure I drove people crazy, constantly quoting from it, and telling my husband "listen to this!", and saying "Alfie says ...") His writing style is not for everybody, but it works for me, because I love all of the detail and the thorough research (with real citations!) to back up everything he says. It's been years since I read it, but its influence remains.
Jan 26, 2010
Zacho
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I like books that challenge long held beliefs and this one does a very good job at challenging the motivational strategy of "do this and I'll give you that," which is used everywhere from teaching in schools to managing employees. He makes a very persuasive argument, backed by lots of data and experiments, that using rewards and punishments as a strategy to motivate not only doesn't work, but decreases productivity and creativity, has no long term results, stifles intrinsic motivation
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Mar 27, 2011
Leanne
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Eye-opening read on the negative effects of praise. Sometimes I think Kohn goes a little overboard, but it all makes sense. Growing up, I lived for the praise of my parents and teachers, so a lot of this rang true with me. One reason being a stay-at-home mom can be difficult is that noone--especially your children--is out there clapping for you and your accomplishments.
I'd like to believe that this book helped me become a reformed praise junkie.
I'd like to believe that this book helped me become a reformed praise junkie.
Aug 05, 2011
Laura
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A really eye-opening and interesting book. It could have used a little streamlining -- Kohn does tend to get repetitive -- and more in terms of practical advice (i.e. how exactly does one distinguish "bad" praise from "good" acknowledgement?), but on the whole I really enjoyed it and I'll definitely try to incorporate some of his ideas into the classroom.
Dec 21, 2011
Tyler
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I believe that everyone should read this book. It brings into question a system so indoctrinated that most readers will find it hard to imagine the world without it. It will cause you to evaluate the motivations in your everyday life and find what is truly important to you. I strongly recommend this book to anyone.
Apr 28, 2009
Amy
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While I do not agree with all of Kohn's conclusions and he is too idealistic for the real world, this book rates among the most influential of my life. It made me rethink rewards and motivation, and I have continued to ponder it repeatedly over the years since I first read it. It may be time for a repeat read.
Jan 25, 2008
Deborah
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As a self-motivated person who takes pride in a job well done, I've always felt that incentives at school and in the workplace served to undermine the value of my personal achievements. Due to this perspective, Alfie Kohn's book resonated well with me; however there are some who feel that nothing is worth doing if it doesn't result in a $5 Starbucks card, a flimsy certificate, or some such trivial token. Such people will not like this book.
My one criticism of the book is that it be More...
My one criticism of the book is that it be More...
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Dec 28, 2011
Kelly
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I enjoyed this book very much. It makes you think hard about what rewards have done in your life. I can say that I'm very motivated by rewards but I don't really like them. Everything feels like it's a reward or badge or trinket or grade or resume filler to collect and it doesn't really make any difference in your life.
The worst part is when they start awarding things, if you perceive it to be unfair somehow it definitively makes you work less. I agree that if people were given a cha More...
The worst part is when they start awarding things, if you perceive it to be unfair somehow it definitively makes you work less. I agree that if people were given a cha More...
Sep 14, 2010
Veronica
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Rewards belittle us, it is as simple as that. This book takes a look at school, business and parenting and how the use of incentives are as degrading and hurtful as punishments and do little to motivate us to do
what is right.
what is right.
Jan 13, 2012
Becky
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Needed some reminders about education and parenting via intrinsic motivation. And he always hits my sweet spot on the elusive balance between boundaries, respect, and self-determination for all.
