11/08/2025
Some of the disadvantages of giving rewards and announcing high marks of students
1. Diminished intrinsic motivation:
Rewards can shift the focus from the inherent joy of learning to achieving the reward itself.
Students may lose interest in the activity once the reward is removed.
2. Increased anxiety and shame:
The pressure to win or maintain high achievement to receive rewards can lead to anxiety.
Students who don't receive rewards may experience shame or feelings of inadequacy.
3. Fixed mindset promotion:
Focusing on prizes can lead students to believe their abilities are fixed instead of improved through effort.
4. Decreased generosity and empathy:
Competition for prizes can foster a "what's in it for me?" mentality, reducing generosity and empathy among students.
5. Masking of true selves:
Students may hide aspects of themselves not rewarded, leading to inauthentic behavior.
6. Devaluation of the task:
Rewards can imply that the activity is not valuable on its own, only worth doing for the prize.
7. Dependence on external validation:
Students may become overly reliant on external approval and rewards rather than developing internal motivation and self-esteem.
8. Short-term compliance, not long-term change:
While rewards may induce temporary positive behavior, they are less effective in building lasting self-regulation or positive values.
9. Failure to address root causes:
Rewards often treat symptoms of behavior issues rather than the underlying causes.