Numerous psychology experiments have found that when you try to “incentivize” people to do something, they’re less likely to do it and do a worse job. External incentives, like rewards and punishments, kills what psychologists call your “intrinsic motivation” — your natural interest in the problem.
— Aaron Schwartz. Read the entire essay. This is why I’m extremely productive in the weeks leading up to an exam. I do the bare minimum amount of study but work really hard on everything else.
