Punished by rewards: A detailed book review.

Punished By Rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, As, Praise, and other bribes.
Author: Alfie Kohn, American author and lecturer in the areas of education, parenting, and human behaviour.

Publisher: Houghton Muffin
No. of chapters: 12 

This book initiates with a briefing on the works of B.F Skinner (a prominent behaviourist) and details on the use of rewards- mainly in schools and workplaces- assumed to be an effective way to ensure learning and productivity. 

"Skinner theory basically codifies and bestows solemn scientific names on something familiar to all of us, do this and you will get that will lead an organism to do this again”

“Punished by rewards” questions this notion.

According to a behaviorist, or pop behaviorism as Kohn names it, a person is likely to continue to show a good behavior, each time a goodie is dangled in front of him.

Critics of the behaviorist theory, including Kohn, repudiate the ideas propounded by Skinner for various reason. One of them being the over-generalization of researches carried out on animals- primarily rodents. The author describes B.F skinner as ‘a man who conducted most of his experiments on rodents and pigeons and wrote most of his books on people’. Although, the book persistently objects to ideas of the Skinnerian theory, at various places, it convincingly assures that the central aim was not to merely criticize behaviorism but to refute a widely-held practice that is detrimental in every area of society;

The distribution of rewards, grades, incentives, praise and other bribes.

The practice of rewarding was described as something that is inimical, as much, as the use of punishment. There is barely any difference between ‘do this and you’ll get that’ or 'do this or this will happen”. In fact, it was referred to as- just another way of controlling ‘By seduction rather than force’. There is a clear conveying of the concept that rewards equally manipulate behaviours as any other punitive measure, since they also imply a sense of authority and power by the one who practices it. For this reason it is ,both, skillfully and conceptually summed up as: Rewards punish.

Kohn continues to give compelling reasons and evidences that justify the abolishment of rewarding system in schools and work places. The most crucial ones that are touched upon in all areas of book have been described briefly below.

·     Rewards undermine interest: The most harmful outcome of the rewarding system can be seen in terms of the ways in which it increases dependency over extrinsic factors. An employee may only work hard until he is being showered with incentives. With the cessation of incentives, the quality of work slides down. To illustrate this, the author speaks of how getting a reward- ‘Do this and you will get that’ approach, automatically devalues the ‘this’. Is that not a clear indicator of how rewards sap the power of intrinsic beauty and motivation of a task and try to replace them with those of a goodie?

But the main question is, do rewards motivate? ' Yes, they motivate you to get the reward'.
Although the writer confesses that rewards produce short-term results, they unarguably inhibit learning and productivity in the long run.

·     Rewards rupture relationship: Since rewards are controlling in their very selves, they perpetuate a series of asymmetrical relationships, both vertically (boss and employ) and horizontally (among peers).                                              Rewards are unjustifiably portrayed to be in the interests of the receiver. While knowing that this practice, which is widely rampant, has penetrated all the way down to our society, failing to admit that rewards benefit the powerful party only worsens the problem. After all, who benefits when the children in a class go instantly numb after they are promised with a few extra marks?

·     Rewards ignore reason: Rewards persuade people into a less-questioning attitude. Perhaps, because the final aim is to achieve a goodie and not to master the task that leads to it. For example, in a school where grades are conferred on assignments, a child is unlikely to be intrigued by the concepts of a new project but eager in finding ways that facilitate him to reach his destination; The A grade. 

·     Rewards discourage risk-taking: In the system of rewarding, the risk-taking attitude is seriously damaged. This is because the individual being rewarded only considers the task assigned to him as a barrier standing between him and the goodie. The human psychic with that pressure, in no time, concludes that it is most favorable to stick heavily to the instructions since the slightest mistake can elongate the route; The smaller the barrier, the closer the reward.

The author presents all his arguments with plausible reasons. On several occasions, he not only backs up his opinions with researches, but also answers multiple challenges to his theories, making his work even more reliable.

Lastly, Kohn explains the reasons behind why a devastatingly destructive practice of rewarding is so widely-followed and stays unquestioned yet- Pragmatism and Easy usage.

Pragmatism concerning mainly to the fact that people today are excessively practical. In a way, they unobjectionably become accepting of theories that, had they pondered over a little, would have startled their minds. The book reinforces the idea by stating ‘We are a nation that prefers acting to thinking and practice to theory’.

Also, rewards are increasingly dispensed because they are easy- to use. And there is no other way, better to put it but as the author who writes; It takes effort and patience (for a teacher) to explain respectfully to six-yr. old’s, the reason for her request, it takes time and talent to help them develop the skill of self-control and commitment, but it takes no time and no courage to announce “Keep quiet and here is what you will get”.

The book also suggests practical and implementable solutions for schools and workplaces to strengthen their work-ethic and gradually get rid of the chaotic rewarding system.

A must read ,especially, for teachers, principals, firm owners and any other individual who wishes to step out of the delusionary and deceiving world of rewards.