Rewards & Intrinsic Motivation

[gusl]

GusLacerda (1:22:22 AM): mechanism design is cool
GusLacerda (1:23:01 AM): how do you build an incentive structure so that your institution will work as long as everybody is selfish.
dirahl (1:23:22 AM): ahh
GusLacerda (1:23:37 AM): most government institutions are a failed attempt at this
dirahl (1:23:42 AM): an incentive structure would kill intrinsic motivation
GusLacerda (1:23:43 AM): actually, they're not an attempt at all
GusLacerda (1:23:53 AM): no
dirahl (1:24:04 AM): lol, yes it does, we just studied it in psychology
GusLacerda (1:24:18 AM): I think I remember that
dirahl (1:24:50 AM): yeah, they gave a bunch of kids markers and told them to draw...one group got a new marker for every picture drawn, and the other group didn't...
GusLacerda (1:24:51 AM): if people expect to get paid, they stop liking the task, right?
dirahl (1:24:57 AM): yep
dirahl (1:25:16 AM): the group that got the marker found that over time they liked drawing less than the other group
GusLacerda (1:25:33 AM): they become uncreative optimizers
dirahl (1:25:37 AM): yep
dirahl (1:25:56 AM): so if you really want people to love their jobs, an incentive structure is that last thing you should do.....
GusLacerda (1:26:35 AM): if you don't reward people, they won't feel appreciated
dirahl (1:26:56 AM): there's a difference between "just compensation" and an incentive structure
ddirahl (1:27:07 AM): I like what I do, but I expect a decent pay for it
dirahl (1:27:26 AM): but I don't expect "incentives"
GusLacerda (1:27:47 AM): interesting
GusLacerda (1:27:52 AM): you just
GusLacerda (1:28:02 AM): want your freedom to work as you please
dirahl (1:28:09 AM): pretty much
GusLacerda (1:28:17 AM): I think Alfie Kohn said something about that
GusLacerda (1:28:42 AM): he's against all kinds of school testing
dirahl (1:28:48 AM): so am I
dirahl (1:28:58 AM): destroys creativity
GusLacerda (1:29:08 AM): where is the conservative I used to know?

What difference should this make?