If you’re taking a survey, odds are you’re after one thing: A reward. Whether that be points, money, a gift card, or an entry into a sweepstakes, you’re likely chasing the prize at the end of the questionnaire. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of: most surveys, in an effort to drum up respondents, offer a myriad of enticing rewards and benefits for finishing their surveys. However, is this promise of monetary rewards the best way to go about surveying?

The Types of Rewards

According to psychology, there are two types of motivators: intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic motivators come from within a person, such as the satisfaction of a job well done or the pleasant feeling of making a positive difference. Extrinsic rewards on the other hand come from outside of the person, and take the form of the above-mentioned rewards: money, points, and more.

For example, consider playing football professionally. You may love the sport, and play it with your friends and teammates every chance you get, even when you’re not training or in the big game. If this is the case, participating in the sport is itself an intrinsic reward. You are motivated by the task itself because it is fun to play, you feel energized and healthy, and because you get to spend time with your friends and work as a team. Alternatively, you could not enjoy the sport, but simply be playing it for the money. Because football contracts are so lucrative, it would make sense if that is the driving reason for you to continue playing this sport, even if it isn’t something you’re interested in. You also would receive lots of other benefits and rewards, such as fame, attention, and all the perks of celebrity status. In both cases, there are rewards to be had, but the base difference is what form these rewards take.

Intrinsic Vs. Extrinsic

Many people say that intrinsic rewards are a much better form of motivation than extrinsic rewards because they hold deeper meaning. Because intrinsic rewards are internally rewarding, they meet one’s base psychological needs of competence, satisfaction, autonomy, or relatedness. You return to a job that is intrinsically rewarding because it is fun, satisfying, and personally important.

Conversely, extrinsic rewards do not have that same psychological drive. The goal of a task with extrinsic rewards is simply to achieve a specified outcome, not to satisfy anything internally. In this case, you return to a job only because it pays you for completing your tasks, but not because you find it fun, rewarding, or even enjoyable.

Because intrinsic rewards satisfy those deeper psychological needs, many find them to be much more important than extrinsic rewards. There are even some studies that suggest that extrinsic rewards can damage one’s intrinsic motivation. This is considered the “overjustification effect”, which is when expected external incentive decreases a person's intrinsic motivation to perform a task. For example, an animal-lover may become a veterinarian to satisfy that intrinsic need to help animals, but lose interest in the practice as they gain further rewards and money.

Hundreds of studies over the past 30 years have been conducted in order to prove this concept of overjustification. However, one study from the University of Alberta suggested that these studies were incorrect. The research of Judy Cameron, Katherine M. Banko, and W. David Pierce found that, in many cases, extrinsic rewards did not harm or even enhance intrinsic motivation. For high-interest tasks, for example, general rewards and rewards for doing well had no effect on test subjects’ intrinsic motivation. Rewards given for surpassing goals, exceeding others, and finishing tasks in fact had a positive effect on subjects’ intrinsic motivation. Only rewards given for doing a task had a negative effect on subjects’ intrinsic motivation.

The Future of Surveys

With all this in mind, what is the future of surveys? Will we see extrinsic rewards disbanded in favor of intrinsic motivations? Or will money, points, and other incentives remain the only way to motivate participants? While many survey companies would certainly like to see the end of expensive monetary incentives, it is unlikely that most people would sit through long surveys simply out of curiosity, genuine interest, or the kindness of their heart. Money, gifts, and discounts will likely continue to be the best form of reward. However, given the work of Cameron, Banko, and Pierce, it is possible that rewards appear in a slightly different form than before.