填空题 Psychologists take contrastive views of how external rewards, from 1 praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, 2 research the relation 3 actions and their consequences argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Cognitive researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, maintain 4 rewards often destroy creativity 5 encouraging dependence 6 approval and gifts from others.
The latter view has gained many supporters, especially 7 educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks 8 in grade-school children, suggesting 9 properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, 10 to a study in the June Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
"If kids know they"re working for a 11 and can focus 12 a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity", says Robert Eisenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. "But it"s easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for 13 performance or crea- ting too 14 anticipation for rewards."
A teacher 15 continually draws attention to rewards or who hands 16 high grades for ordinary achievement ends up 17 discouraged students, Eisenberger holds. 18 an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore failing 19 .
In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economies, in 20 students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.