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Reconciling economics and psychology on intrinsic motivation

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  • Bruno, Bruna

Abstract

The paper analyzes how the debate on intrinsic motivation was imported from psychology into economics. The most important differences between the two disciplines are in the definition of intrinsic motivation and in the timing of the undermining effect of rewards. The economic framework of inter-temporal choices is proposed to reconcile the different empirical and theoretical results arising in the literature, and it is shown how rewards induce substitution and income effects depending on whether they are transitory or permanent. Furthermore, a distinction between input and output oriented intrinsic motivation is introduced.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno, Bruna, 2012. "Reconciling economics and psychology on intrinsic motivation," MPRA Paper 42717, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:42717
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Dirk Sliwka, 2007. "Trust as a Signal of a Social Norm and the Hidden Costs of Incentive Schemes," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(3), pages 999-1012, June.
    7. Lindenberg, Siegwart, 2001. "Intrinsic Motivation in a New Light," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2-3), pages 317-342.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dorian Jullien, 2016. "Under Uncertainty, Over Time and Regarding Other People: Rationality in 3D," GREDEG Working Papers 2016-20, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    2. Antoine Beretti & Charles Figuières & Gilles Grolleau, 2019. "How to turn crowding-out into crowding-in? An innovative instrument and some law-related examples," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 417-438, December.
    3. Aldieri, Luigi & Bruno, Bruna & Vinci, Concetto Paolo, 2019. "Does environmental innovation make us happy? An empirical investigation," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 166-172.
    4. Bruna Bruno & Marisa Faggini, 2017. "Sharing Economy: For an Economic Taxonomy," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(6), pages 174-178, June.
    5. Julie De Pril & Cécile Godfroid, 2017. "How to Reconcile Financial Incentives and Prosocial Motivation of Loan Officers in Microfinance?," Working Papers CEB 17-011, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    intrinsic motivation; rewards; crowding out; undermining;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General

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