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Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes »

Book cover image of Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes by Alfie Kohn

Authors: Alfie Kohn
ISBN-13: 9780618001811, ISBN-10: 0618001816
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date Published: September 1999
Edition: (Non-applicable)

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Author Biography: Alfie Kohn

Alfie Kohn's six previous books include Punished by Rewards and No Contest: The Case Against Competition, as well as Beyond Displine and What to Look for in a Classroom. Descrilbed by Time magazine last year as "perhaps the country's most outspoken critic of educational fixation on grades and test scores," he is a popular lecturer, speaker to teachers, parents, and reasearchers accross the country. The author currently resides in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Book Synopsis

The basic strategy we use for raising children, teaching students, and managing workers can be summarized in six words: Do this and you'll get that. We dangle goodies (from candy bars to sales commissions) in front of people in much the same way we train the family pet. Drawing on a wealth of psychological research, Alfie Kohn points the way to a more successful strategy based on working with people instead of doing things to them. Kirkus Reviews called Punished By Rewards "a clear, convincing demonstration of the shortcoming of pop-behaviorism, written with style, humor, and authority," and Thomas Gordon, the founder of Parent Effectiveness Training, said, "Every parent, teacher, and manager should read this book - and hurry."

"Every parent, teacher, and manager should read this book -- and hurry." -- Thomas Gordon, founder of Parent Effectiveness Training

Table of Contents

Preface
Pt. 1The Case Against Rewards
1Skinner-Boxed: The Legacy of Behaviorism3
2Is It Right to Reward?19
3Is It Effective to Reward?35
4The Trouble With Carrots: Four Reasons Rewards Fail49
5Cutting the Interest Rate: The Fifth Reason Rewards Fail68
6The Praise Problem96
Pt. 2Rewards in Practice
7Pay for Performance: Why Behaviorism Doesn't Work in the Workplace119
8Lures for Learning: Why Behaviorism Doesn't Work in the Classroom142
9Bribes for Behaving: Why Behaviorism Doesn't Help Children Become Good People160
Pt. 3Beyond Rewards
Introduction179
10Thank God It's Monday: The Roots of Motivation in the Workplace181
11Hooked on Learning: The Roots of Motivation in the Classroom198
12Good Kids Without Goodies228
Appendix A: A Conversation with B. F. Skinner259
Appendix B: What Is Intrinsic Motivation?270
Appendix C: The Behaviorists Talk Back277
Notes285
References352
Name Index385
Subject Index387

Subjects