Question

Lien crafts imitation dream catchers in her spare time. Her father constantly encourages her to sell the crafts online. When Lien agrees to sell them, she notices that while she still enjoys making the dream catchers, she no longer does it for fun—she does it to make money. This is an example of the ________ effect.

A
motivation

B
overjustification

C
intrinsic

D
extrinsic

Answer 1

Lien experiencing a shift in motivation from enjoyment to monetary gain when she starts selling her dream catchers is an example of the overjustification effect, where intrinsic motivation lessens due to the introduction of extrinsic rewards.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario where Lien crafts imitation dream catchers as a leisure activity but begins to sell them online at her father's encouragement, the shift in her motivation from doing it for enjoyment to doing it for money is an example of the overjustification effect. This psychological concept suggests that intrinsic motivation, which is driven by personal enjoyment or satisfaction, can be diminished when extrinsic motivation, such as financial gain, is introduced.

Despite still enjoying the craft, Lien's primary motivation transitions to an extrinsic one, making the activity feel more like work and potentially reducing the initial passion she felt.Research by Deci et al. (1999) indicates that introducing extrinsic rewards, like money, can negatively impact one's intrinsic motivation to engage in a beloved activity. This contrasts with situations where unexpected extrinsic rewards, or rewards like verbal praise, do not necessarily decrease intrinsic motivation. Thus, Lien's experience is a textbook case of the overjustification effect impacting her original motivation for crafting dream catchers.