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阅读理解
Psychologists take opposing views of how external(外界的)rewards, from warm praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity．Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school．Cognitive(认知派的)researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity by encouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others．?
The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators．But the careful use of small monetary(钱的)rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements(刺激)indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology．?
“If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity, ” says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark．“But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards．”?
A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenberger holds．As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades．?
In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims．?
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