Overview & Description:

The Overjustification Effect occurs when an expected external incentive, such as money or prizes, decreases a person’s intrinsic motivation to perform a task. The idea is that the external reward can overshadow internal motivation, leading to less interest in performing the task when the reward is absent.

Example:

A child who enjoys drawing for fun may stop enjoying the activity when they begin getting paid for their drawings, losing their intrinsic motivation.

Implications:

Understanding the overjustification effect is important in educational, occupational, and clinical settings where rewarding systems are commonly utilized to motivate behavior.

References:

• Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological bulletin, 125(6), 627.