Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
12:09
Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
How important is money as a reward for teaching?
Antoinette S Peters1, Kathleen N Schnaidt, Kara Zivin
1Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. toni_peters@hms.harvard.edu
Summary
Increasing teaching stipends for primary care faculty was linked to higher retention rates. However, faculty satisfaction with teaching was more influenced by having good students than by the stipend amount.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Faculty Development
- Primary Care
Background:
- Faculty retention is crucial for medical education continuity.
- Understanding faculty motivations is key to effective retention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of increased teaching stipends on primary care faculty retention.
- To compare faculty needs and rewards for teaching with retention data.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of primary care faculty retention rates at Harvard Medical School (1997-2006).
- Comparison of retention during periods of stipend increases and direct vs. indirect payment.
- Survey of preceptors to rank factors influencing teaching continuation and satisfaction.
Main Results:
- Faculty were 2.66 times more likely to return to teach during the highest pay period compared to the lowest.
- Direct payment was associated with higher retention than indirect payment.
- While stipends increased retention, faculty ranked having a good student as the primary factor for both continuing to teach and satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- Increased faculty stipends are associated with improved retention of primary care faculty.
- Faculty teaching satisfaction and motivation are more strongly linked to student interactions than financial incentives.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Primary and Secondary Reinforcers
In psychology, reinforcement is a key concept in behavior modification. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments involving rats in what is known as a Skinner box. The rats learned to press a lever to receive food, a primary reinforcer that fulfilled their innate need for nourishment.
Effective reinforcers for humans vary depending on the individual and the context. Primary reinforcers, such as food, water, sleep, shelter, and pleasure, have inherent value and satisfy basic biological...
Effective reinforcers for humans vary depending on the individual and the context. Primary reinforcers, such as food, water, sleep, shelter, and pleasure, have inherent value and satisfy basic biological...
01:23Reinforcement
Positive and negative reinforcement are key concepts in operant conditioning, a learning process where the consequences of a behavior affect the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
01:24Reinforcement Schedules
Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
Once a behavior is learned,...
Once a behavior is learned,...
01:18Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation
Incentive theory, or the "pull theory" of motivation, suggests that external rewards primarily drive behavior. Individuals are motivated to engage in activities when they anticipate a desirable outcome. This is why people often work hard for promotions or study intensively to achieve high grades. These incentives can be tangible, physical rewards such as money or promotions, or intangible, non-physical rewards like praise and social recognition.
The theory differentiates between intrinsic and...
The theory differentiates between intrinsic and...
01:08Timing and Consequences on Behavior
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
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01:27Punishment
Negative reinforcement and punishment are often confused but serve distinct functions in behavior modification. Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, increases the likelihood of a desired behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.