Bribe theory, in the news.

No, folks... I'm not making national headlines. But the flawed theory that you can improve people's attitudes by giving them tangible rewards is.

It turns out that the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has gathered a group of donors, in order to run a social experiment. Essentially, they're going to give parents financial rewards in order to improve people's attitudes toward education. They'll reward them with cash incentives for attending parent-teacher conferences, having an acceptable attendance record, graduation, taking college entrance examinations, as well as many other things. And the financial incentives are going to be "enough to make a difference in these people's lives."

I'm not usually one to talk about politics on this blog. There might be a number of reasons why this might or not work. But, psychologists are weighing in. And they're warning us about the bribe effect that I've talked about in this blog. That, when you provide too much reward for something (such as going on expensive dates, giving gifts, easy compliments, and so forth), people see themselves as participating (or dating you) for the reward (the bribe) - and not because of their internal motivation (liking you).

And, over time, they become resentful. And like you less.

Anyway, one of the best pieces can be found here. And they back the theory with some great examples.

So... read and enjoy.