Punished by Rewards, Alfie Kohn
Punished by Rewards, Alfie Kohn
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Punished by Rewards
The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes

Author: Alfie Kohn

Narrator: Alfie Kohn

Unabridged: 13 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/20/2017


Synopsis

Our basic strategy for raising children, teaching students, and managing workers can be summed up in six words: Do this, and you'll get that. We dangle goodies (from candy bars to sales commissions) in front of people in the same way that we train the family pet.

Unfortunately, attempts to manipulate people with incentives ultimately fail and even do lasting harm. Drawing from hundreds of studies, Kohn demonstrates that people actually do inferior work when they are enticed with money, grades, or other rewards. What's more, they tend to lose interest in whatever they have been manipulated with rewards to do.

Over the years, this groundbreaking book has persuaded countless parents, teachers, and managers that rewards and punishments are actually two sides of the same coin, and it's a coin that doesn't buy very much. Kohn explains what it means to work with people instead of doing things to them—at home, at school, and at work. Seasoned with humor—and containing new studies and stories in an Afterword written for the book's revised edition—Punished by Rewards presents an argument unsettling to hear but impossible to dismiss.

About Alfie Kohn

Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. He is the author of fourteen books, including Unconditional Parenting and The Myth of the Spoiled Child (both available as Tantor audiobooks), and scores of articles. He lectures at education conferences and universities as well as to parent groups and corporations. Kohn lives (actually) in the Boston area and (virtually) at alfiekohn.org.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sharlee

As a college student, I had been very interested in Alfie Kohn's philosophies. After graduating and getting a job much sooner than expected, I decided to read this book. I am amazed by how much we control other people with rewards. I've never been a fan of behaviorism...in any form. Which doesn't ma......more

Goodreads review by Karin

My daughter's gr. 1 teacher just announced that if the kids read 100 books, they'd get a reward. Instead of being enthusiastic, or eager to read, DD just got upset and worried that now she can't get the reward because 100 seemed way too many. How different is 100 from a bazillion to a gr. 1 kid who......more

I have never read a book that so questioned societal norms, nor have I ever altered my views so much based on the concepts introduced in a book. The title of this book explains exactly what readers can expect. As with any book discussing parenting skills, work levels, and manipulation, readers will......more

Goodreads review by David

What a great book! I have long been bothered by the question, "How do you motivate people?" And the answer is here--you cannot motivate people with extrinsic rewards. You can only set up situations so that the motivation comes from within, intrinsically. You must do this by giving the person control......more

Goodreads review by Rich

'Punished' is mandatory reading for parents, teachers and managers. I came into this title after a brief reference in Non-Violent Communication to learn more about my oldest daughter as she enters elementary school. I unpacked as much if not more about my own upbringing and its contributions to my o......more