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Unread 11-01-2007, 17:11
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Re: FIRST $CASH$ prize...

Quote:
In the laboratory, rats get Rice Krispies. In the classroom the top students get A's, and in the factory or office the best workers get raises. It's an article of faith for most of us that rewards promote better performance.

But a growing body of research suggests that this law is not nearly as ironclad as was once thought. Psychologists have been finding that rewards can lower performance levels, especially when the performance involves creativity.
...
There is general agreement, however, that not all rewards have the same effect. Offering a flat fee for participating in an experiment - similar to an hourly wage in the workplace - usually does not reduce intrinsic motivation. It is only when the rewards are based on performing a given task or doing a good job at it - analogous to piece-rate payment and bonuses, respectively - that the problem develops.
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Creative work, the research suggests, cannot be forced, but only allowed to happen.
A few excerpts from this article.

How about for getting people interested in FIRST, give a little money to new teams to help them get started. Of course, you could run into the problem of people pretending to be teams just to get the money.
I guess we should just keep it the way it is. Your funding comes from sponsors and fund raising, and your reward for winning is the knowledge that you won.
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--Hofstadter's Law