Alfie Kohn:  Myth-Buster
on Education, Homework, Punishment, Incentives, and Rewards

Alfie Kohn recently spoke to about 250 people at an LCC/ "Capital Quality Initiative"  Here are a few concepts I captured in my notes and from the handouts at the lecture. (more at www.alfiekohn.org)

	Our culture is marinated in behaviorism.  At work, at school, and at home, we take for granted that the way to get things done is to dangle goodies in front of people.
	Many of our current approaches to management, teaching, parenting, and leadership are based upon false assumptions about human nature.  This old paradigm is based upon "theory X" -- the belief that people are basically lazy.  "Theory Y," on the other hand, states that people want to do meaningful things.  Theory "Y" assumes that people will not only accept but also seek responsibility and have the capacity to exercise a high degree of imagination and creativity.
	Adherents to the old paradigm give or withhold awards, impose specific objectives, and appraise performance...   they tend to do things to versus doing things with people.
	At least 2 dozen studies show that rewards undermine performance.  Pay isn't a motivator.  Incentives can't work in the long run.
	Why?  Because they are controlling.  Rewards rupture relationships.  The more people "want" the reward, the more damaging to relationships.  Research shows that excellence depends upon teamwork, both because of the exchange of ideas it fosters and the climate of social support it creates.  But the scramble for rewards -- particularly when they are made scarce, creating competition -- destroys this valuable cooperation.
	Incentive-driven employees will not ask for help when they need it.  Instead, they will often conceal problems to appear infinitely competent, or they will resort to flattery.
	Rewards reduce risk-taking.
	Punishments and rewards are not opposites.  They are two sides of the same coin, and the coin does not buy very much.
	A dozen psychological studies showing that the more people are led to think about rewards, the more they prefer easy tasks.  Why?  Not because of laziness, but because incentives encourage concern about what one is going to get.
	Rewards undermine interest.  People think, " If they have to bribe me to do it, this must be something I don't want to do."
	If rewards do not work, what does?  Kohn recommends paying workers well and fairly and then do everything possible to help them forget about money.  A preoccupation with money distracts everyone -- employers and employees -- from the issues that really matter.
	Q:  How do you motivate people?     A:  You don't.  It's impossible, it's unnecessary, and it's undesirable.
	It's better to ask "How are people motivated?"  To revive and resuscitate and help people recover their own internal motivation, we should maximize choices.  Let students design their learning experiences.
	These issues might be abbreviated as the three Cs of quality:  choice, collaboration, and content.  Choice means worker should participate in making decisions about what they do.  Collaboration means they should be able to work together in effective teams.  Content refers to the job's tasks.  To do a good job, people need a good job to do.   Doing these things is much more difficult than dangling goodies in front of workers.  Manipulating behavior by offering rewards, while a sound approach for training the family pet, can never bring quality to the workplace.

Here are a few of the dozens of articles on his website:

	"The Truth About Homework," Education Week, September 6, 2006
	"Abusing Research: The Study of Homework & Other Examples," Phi Delta Kappan, September 2006
	"Unconditional Teaching," Educational Leadership, September 2005
	"Five Reasons to Stop Saying 'Good Job!'", Young Children, September 2001

 

New book!

 

More on the Capital Quality Initiative at:  www.lcc.edu/cqi

	The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community http://www.ecofoot.msu.edu/documents/david.korten.flyer.2006.pdf David Korten speaks at MSU on Monday evening, October 9th.  Susan Davis on October 23 (http://www.ecofoot.msu.edu/calendar.htm)
	Why Sustainability, not Terrorism, Should Be Our Real Security Focus Alex Steffen, forwarded by Tom Atlee What really threatens us? How do we truly make ourselves safer? click here
	Right to Life by David Orr, forwarded by Tom Stanton click here
	How to be Successful in Life - Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey Show, 1997 "I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich." "I wrote myself a check for ten million dollars for acting services rendered and dated it Thanksgiving 1995. I put it in my wallet and it deteriorated. And then, just before Thanksgiving 1995, I found out I was going to make ten million dollars for Dumb & Dumber. I put that check in the casket with my father because it was our dream together."

Myths of Violence -Lloyd Thomas

Quotes by Eckhart Tolle “Compassion is the awareness of a deep bond between yourself and all creatures.” “True salvation is freedom from negativity, and above all from past and future as a psychological need.” “Enlightenment means choosing to dwell in the state of presence rather than in time. It means saying yes to what is.” “As you go about your life, don’t give 100 percent of your attention to the external world and to your mind. Keep some within. Feel the inner body even when engaged in everyday activities, especially when you are relating with nature. Feel the stillness deep inside it. Keep the portal open.” from http://www.eckharttolle.com