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Reward Salience and Choice in a Controlling Context: A Lab Experiment.
1Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 13, 2022
Summary
In controlling settings, a salient reward significantly boosts motivation and performance. This contrasts with non-salient or no-reward conditions, highlighting the impact of reward characteristics on outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Examining simultaneous effects of motivational mechanisms on performance is challenging.
- Motivational congruence theory suggests mechanisms reinforce each other based on perceived locus of causality.
- The joint effects of reward salience and choice on motivation have been debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of reward salience and choice on motivation and performance within a controlling context.
- To extend motivational congruence theory to controlling environments.
- To address the unexplored interaction of reward characteristics and choice under controlling conditions.
Main Methods:
- A 2 (choice: present, absent) x 3 (reward: salient, non-salient, none) factorial design was employed.
- Participants were subjected to varying levels of choice and reward salience.
- Overall motivation and performance were measured as key outcomes.
Main Results:
- Under controlling conditions, a salient reward significantly enhanced overall motivation and performance.
- Salient rewards led to better outcomes compared to non-salient rewards.
- Both salient and non-salient rewards improved outcomes compared to no-reward conditions.
Conclusions:
- Reward salience is a critical factor in enhancing motivation and performance within controlling contexts.
- The findings support and extend motivational congruence theory to situations involving external controls.
- Strategic application of salient rewards can be effective in improving performance even when autonomy is limited.
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