The relative effectiveness of praise and group competition as motivating incentives affecting task persistence in young children was investi-gated. As predicted, competition was relatively more effective with second graders than with kindergarten children, with boys than with girls, and with boring tasks than with more ego-involving tasks. However, competition was not significantly more effective than praise except on boring tasks. Competition may not be a desirable incentive in view of its possible negative side effects. Praise appears simpler and equally effective.
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