Rethinking Rewards: The Psychology of Incentives, Reinforcers, and Money

In many situations, money can easily function as a reward; after all, it can help to satisfy many different needs. But is there something special about money? In this episode, Erik covers some basic ideas from economics and anthropology. (00:00) Introduction (00:45) Economic definition of money (02:18) Anthropological perspectives on money (04:01) The symbolic meaning of money (07:25) Social rules...

In this episode, Erik dives into the question "do incentives work, such that they improve performance?". To try to answer this complex question, Erik discusses several important lines of research from psychology. (00:00) Introduction (01:09) Psychology of motivation (03:27) Experimental psychology (04:31) Neuroscience (06:18) Interim summary (06:49)Three drawbacks of incentives (07:40) C...

In this episode, Erik discusses the legacy of radical behaviorism. He explains the basic features of radical behaviorism. He will also argue that the some key ideas from radical behaviorism are now more relevant than ever. (00:00) Introduction (00:50) The basic ingredients (03:24) In defense of single-subject designs (07:02) Why Skinner got cancelled (10:24) Why Skinner is still relevant (13:37) C...

In this first episode, Erik talks about why there is so much controversy about when and how to use rewards. (00:00) Introduction (01:54) Different types of rewards (03:56) Defining key concepts (05:27) Introducing the debate on rewards (06:35) The role of humanism (08:43) Anti-reward influencers (13:20) Wrap-up Cover art: Carrot generated with Craiyon.com   Music: Home by Vlad Gluschenko ⁠https://...