Professor Elam

I have mewntioned the new social science of socionomics in helping us understand how popular culture shapes events. Researchers are now discovering that seeming positive incentives may have negative consequences. This article suggests people respond more to positive incentives than necessarily to monetary rewards.

Offering women cash rewards to donate blood actually decreases the number of people donating. However letting those same women direct a payment to charity, received for the blood donation is empowering to them. The result is more blood donations. 

Government has long relied on negative incentives, do this and we fine you. Speeding tickets are a perfect example. Fining parents for picking children up late from child care resulted in more, you guessed it, late pickups. People do not respond to negative re inforcement. 

Interesting article.