Overjustification effect
Children who already enjoy drawing are paid for each drawing. When the payments stop, they draw less than they did before payment began. This is:
Answer C: explanation for every choice
A
Extinction would return drawing to its original rate when the reward stopped. Here it falls below that rate.
B
Learned helplessness is passivity after repeated uncontrollable failure.
C
Correct. An external reward undermined the intrinsic motivation the children already had.
D
Self-handicapping is creating obstacles to excuse possible failure.
TakeawayExtrinsic rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID ps55.