Preference for Noncontingent Reinforcement by Children in Work and Play Situations

Abstract

A group of 7- to 9-yr.-old children were given the choice between contingent reward (“work”) and noncontingent reward (“play”). For half the subjects the activity involved resembled work (doing sums) and for half the activity resembled play (playing with toy building blocks). Over-all, subjects preferred noncontingent reward particularly when the activity involved playing with building blocks. It was concluded that any activity which permits interaction with and control of the environment will be engaged in (so long as the consequences are not painful) and that studies purporting to show preference for “work” over “play” have generally failed to control for this variable.