Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/220031 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper No. TI 2019-082/V
Publisher: 
Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Abstract: 
Non-monetary incentives such as praise are common-place, but their effects on workers performing cognitively-complex tasks remain largely unknown. I expand the teacher incentive literature through a field experiment measuring how repeated public praise for the best teachers impacts teacher performance. Testing different mechanisms, I argue that public praise sends a comparative message, with teachers being motivated when praised and becoming discouraged when not praised. In treated schools, teachers who are unexpectedly praised perform better and teachers who are not perform worse. The positive effect of unexpected praise is persistent and reflects real student learning. The negative effect disappears over time.
Subjects: 
public praise
teacher incentives
field experiment
JEL: 
M52
C93
I21
J3
J45
J53
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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