Effects of free reward on learning and motivation

Abstract

Previous work has shown that noncontingent reward, presented concurrently with contingent reward, has a detrimental effect on learning response-reward contingencies and the motivation to respond. The present experiment sought to offer an explanation for those results. Introductory psychology students earned points on a counter (reward) by striking the correct one of 10 keys on a variable ratio schedule. In addition to this contingent reward, three other groups received noncontingent reward under one of three conditions: (a) free reward, which was independent of any aspect of the subject's behaviour, (b) free reward, which was signalled, and (c) reward which was response-dependent but irrelevant to the contingency detection problem. The results showed that the problem-irrelevant property of noncontingent reward disrupts learning. Two possible explanations for noncontingent reward decreasing the tendency to respond are proffered.