A token is not a token …: Interactive effects of intrinsic and extrinsic reinforcement with children

Abstract

The interactive effects of intrinsic and extrinsic reinforcement have receive much theoretical and empirical attention in recent years (Ford & Foster, 1976; Greene, Sternberg, & Lepper, 1976; Lepper & Greene, 1976; Reiss & Sushinsky, 1976). These studies have raised concerns that extrinsic reinforcers such as money or attractive activities, toys, or foods may “undermine” the intrinsic reinforcement value of a target activity. A major problem in this research is that the constructs of “extrinsic” and “intrinsic” reinforcement have not been consensually operationally defined, so that the same experimental variable may be labeled as “intrinsic” in one study and “extrinsic” in another (Dyer & Parker, 1975). In particular, researchers have not systematically attempted to identify the potential intrinsic components of extrinsic reinforcers, although a consequating action or stimulus may have intrinsic value in addition to its extrinsic purchasing power. This study addresses the question of whether the postreinforcement decreases in response frequency below baseline levels that have been found to occur with extrinsic reinforcers can be prevented through programming these reinforcers so that they have intrinsic value in addition to extrinsic value.