Prize or Pleasure: The Same Game With and Without Rewards
A three-phase experiment with ball-skill challenges: students practice them for points and a prize, by free choice, and finally during free time to see who keeps practicing just for fun. It opens a discussion of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation and how rewards affect it.
How to play
- Present six ball-skill challenges on cards, such as keepie-uppies, dribbling between the legs, or throwing and catching after a clap (3 min).
- Half A practices with rewards: each completed challenge earns points toward a symbolic prize, such as choosing the final game; half B practices the same challenges with no points and free choice (8 min).
- Free time: the teacher announces the experiment is over and students can do whatever they want for 5 minutes; two observers per half record who keeps practicing the challenges (5 min).
- Swap conditions and repeat with three new challenges and another observed free-time period (10 min).
- Group discussion with the observers' data: in which condition did people keep practicing more, and why (4 min).
Rules
- During free time, nobody may be pressured to practice or to stop.
- Everyone works in their own space, at least 6 feet from others.
- The prize is symbolic, and all of half A earns it if they reach the agreed total.
Variations
Easier
One phase of each condition, without swapping.
Standard
Two swapped conditions with two observed free-time periods.
Harder
Students design a third condition, such as improvement feedback without points, and test it.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: dribbling, throwing and catching challenges from the wheelchair.
- Autism: explain in advance that there will be a free-time period to avoid confusion.
- Visual impairment: challenges with a beeper ball and a classmate who describes the card.
Learning goals
- Distinguish intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in physical practice.
- Use data to analyze how rewards affect persistence.
- Reflect on what makes them practice for fun outside class.
Equipment for a class of 25
- balls: 30
- worksheets: 10
- stopwatches: 2
Teacher tip
Don't reveal the purpose of the experiment until the end so the free time is genuine. The result isn't always what you expect, and that's good material for discussion too.
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