The Big Idea Researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and UCLA published the results of their study last year on The demotivating effect (and unintended message) of awards – further confirming that extrinsic motivators, both punishment and reward, kill initiative, self-direction, and drive. We all want our kids / students to show initiative, and we use a number of techniques to let them know: we take away privileges, pile on privileges, direct, lecture, scold, and occasionally, r