Comparison of Alfie Kohn and Stephen Krashen on Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards

Although I searched for contrasts, Alfie Kohn and Krashen seem to have the same view point regarding extrinsic rewards: that they do not motivate students to reach their fullest potential. While, unfortunately, Krashen merely sites the studies of others, Kohn offers more insight into this issue by providing actual reasons such as his own psychoanalytical view, "Rewards and punishments are both ways of manipulating behavior" (Alfie Kohn, Punished by Rewards)and sites his own research.

Krashen offers evidence that rewards do not result in higher achievement for the student. Krashen sites studies done on the Accelerated Reader program. This is a program where "children earn points by taking tests on the" books content and "children get prizes in exchange for the points". (Krashen, The Power of Reading) He sites McQuillan (1997) who "reviewed studies that measured the effectiveness of these programs...and concluded that there was no evidence that they improved reading achievement or attitudes toward reading". (Krashen, The Power of Reading)

Alfie Kohn gives us the reasons why these kinds of extrinsic rewards don't work in the long term. First of all, "rewards cause people to lose interest in whatever they were rewarded for doing". (Alfie Kohn, The Risks of Rewards) Secondly, "A child promised a treat for learning or acting responsibly has been given every reason to stop doing so when there is no longer a reward to be gained". (Alfie Kohn, The Risks of Rewards)

Kohn goes on to talk about the detrimental effects of rewards. Children who receive rewards ask for help less for fear that "asking for help may reduce the probability of receiving a reward". (Alfie Kohn, The Risks of Rewards) Children who engage in tasks that are reward based have decreased self-esteem and in fact extrinsically rewarded tasks "may increase kids' dependence on us" (Alfie Kohn, Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!") as they are constantly relying on outside sources for approval.