Psychology: Rewards and Cooperation in Elementary School - Analysis

This discussion board post examines the use of tangible rewards, such as buttons, stickers, and snacks, in elementary schools. The author, acting as a parent, analyzes the potential impacts of such rewards on children's behavior and performance. The post considers both short-term benefits, like improved classroom behavior and academic performance, and potential long-term consequences, such as a dependence on external incentives and a diminished intrinsic motivation. The author references behaviorism and suggests that while rewards might be useful in the short term, they should be used sparingly and strategically to avoid negative impacts on the child's future behavior and attitudes towards work and learning. The post emphasizes the need to consider the long-term psychological effects of using rewards as a primary motivational tool.

Psychology Discussion Forum 6.1
Topic:
Instructions: 1 page with, Single Line Spacing, Must have “Quote” from text (Chapter 7)
Should elementary school children receive material rewards for performance and cooperation?
Imagine that you are a parent and that you have a child in the first grade. You have received a notice
from the principal of the school that a program of tangible rewards (buttons, stickers, stars, bags of
popcorn, cookies) is being considered. The notice compares tangible rewards for the children with the
pay adults get for work. From what we know about behaviorism, is this a good idea?
Explain why the extensive use of tangible rewards may backfire in this situation
If elementary school children will be given material rewards for giving good performance and their
cooperation in the school, that it will have various effects on the students ranging from positive to
negative. In the short run, it will definitely help the teachers in the school to motivate the kids to behave
appropriately, to be regular in the class and also will help in giving better performance in the studies and
other activities. But if attention will not be paid in the selection of the reward it will make lose interest in
the subjects.
Being a parent, I will suggest that, rewards should not be used until and unless there is a particular
reason and if rewards are being used then they should be used for limited time period. If we talk about
the implications of the rewards in the long run, then it might have a negative impact on the behavior of
the child. For motivating the kids to perform well can be understood, but later on, in life that kid will
always look forward to such incentives. Furthermore, when he is not able to get such rewards and
incentives as he used to get, he may not even want to any work. Until and unless it offers some rewards
and incentive for doing a particular work. Such kids will always look forward to incentives instead of
other benefits that particular work may provide them.
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