Using motivation crowding theory, the study examined the possibility that low monetary incentives may reduce (rather than increase) students’ motivation to volunteer as mentors, compared to situations when no incentives are offered. Data from an experiment supported this counter-intuitive proposition. Advertising students exposed to an ad promising a small monetary reward experienced a significant drop in intrinsic motivation and were overall less likely to volunteer as peer mentors than those exposed to an ad promising no reward. The impact of high incentives on motivation was studied also. Students exposed to an ad that promised a large monetary reward were more likely to volunteer than the low-incentive and no-incentive groups, but their intrinsic motivation to help was replaced by the desire for monetary gain. The study has theoretical and practical implications for the use of incentives in advertising education to promote peer mentorship and for motivating volunteers in general.
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