Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

This was explained very well decades back in "Punished By Rewards" - one of the most useful book I've read.


Alfie Kohn's book is about bribes being a bad strategy, not quite about punishment being a bad strategy.

The two are related, though. The article here is explaining how meaningful, relationship-building positive-reinforcement is an effective strategy.

Alfie Kohn's work is easy to misinterpret -- the title of his book mentions "gold stars" as a bad idea, but misses the meaning of a gold star. A gold star isn't a bribe in the sense of an "incentive program", it's a tangible expression of appreciation* -- which is what the article here argeus in favor of.

*as long as the star is its own reward, not some sort of currency used to buy rewards.




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2026 batch! Applications are open till July 27.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: