Motivation and the Human Monitor: I. The Effect of Contingent Credit

Abstract

This research was designed to test the hypothesis that relevant incentives would result in improved performance on a visual monitoring task. Course credit was used as an incentive due to its apparent relevance for the college population. Two groups of Ss were employed. One group received credit made contingent on performance; the other group received credit for participation. The contingent group performed at a higher level than did the non-contingent group. Level of performance for both groups was high, suggesting that a relevant incentive can be effective in maintaining a high level of performance over time.