In the right-hand corner, Professor B. F. “Fred” Skinner brilliant and creative proponent of an old idea – organisms (that’s you!) learn through reinforcement, carrot (big) and (small) stick: “Behavior is determined by its consequences” and “[teaching is] arranging contingencies [of reinforcement] which bring changes in behavior.”

In the other corner is reinforcement-denier, multi-book-author Alfie Kohn, who recently wrote “For nearly half a century, research has raised troubling questions…the studies keep telling us … that rewards, like punishments, tend not only to be ineffective – particularly over the long haul – but often to undermine the very thing we’re trying to promote….Extrinsic motivators (rewards) tend to reduce intrinsic motivation (people’s interest in, or commitment to, what they’re doing).”  And, don’t forget “Rewards are tools used by people with more power on those with less”! MORE