Cash for Comment

Abstract

An unconditioned stimulus in the form of “participation money” serves to keep track of students’ comments during class discussions and extrinsically to reinforce their class participation behaviors. Using a longitudinal experiment to investigate the effect of the participation money stimulus on several education outcomes, the author finds that the stimulus increases the number of comments during weekly class discussions, as perceived by both instructors and students. This increased class participation has a positive effect on students’ experience and perceived understanding of course material, as well as the social atmosphere during class discussions. The findings thus have important implications for marketing educators.