Sometimes at work, we wish we could do more enjoyable things, even if some of them are unrewarding. There's actually a reason for this.
Referencing psychologist Richard E. Nisbett's experiment, kindergarten children were asked to draw.
Group A: They were told beforehand, "You'll get a prize if you draw well," and were given a prize after drawing.
Group B: They were not told about a prize, but were given one after drawing.
Group C: No prizes were given.
Group A spent more time drawing than the other groups. Weeks later, the same children were asked to draw again, this time without any prizes for anyone. As a result, Group B and Group C drew as usual, but Group A showed no enthusiasm.
It can be seen that incentive-based actions can undermine intrinsic motivation. For example, drawing in the experiment above is seen as an activity for emotional release. But when there's a reward, drawing becomes about the reward, losing its role in emotional release, i.e., intrinsic motivation.
Most of the time, we do things simply because we "want to do them." After accepting a reward, the purpose changes to "doing it for the reward." For tasks we don't want or are unwilling to do, rewards can motivate us. But if enjoyable activities also come with rewards, this might diminish the enjoyment itself.
