04/10/2026
Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn
In Punished by Rewards, Alfie Kohn offers a compelling critique of the deep roots of behaviorism in American culture. He warns of the danger in accepting an idea so fully that we stop noticing its influence: "There is a time to admire the grace and persuasive power of an influential idea, and there is a time to fear its hold over us... At the point when objections are not answered anymore because they are no longer even raised, we are not in control: we do not have the idea; it has us."
By the time children enter mental health treatment, the adults who bring them are often frustrated, overwhelmed, and eager for quick behavioral change. It's common for parents to ask, "How do we get this behavior to stop?" Kohn's work challenges this impulse by grounding his argument in decades of research, social experiments, and contemporary neuroscience. He emphasizes that "rewards offer a 'how' answer to what is really a 'why' question."
For mental health professionals, this aligns with a core understanding: behavior is communication, a signal of underlying and unmet needs. Our work often centers on nurturing intrinsic motivation, reducing reliance on external rewards, and strengthening a child's sense of self-trust and self-concept. Kohn underscores the risks of leaning too heavily on extrinsic motivators: "Few readers will be shocked by the news that extrinsic motivators are a poor substitute for genuine interest in what one is doing. What is likely to be far more surprising and disturbing is the further point that rewards, like punishments, actually undermine the intrinsic motivation that promotes optimal performance."
For anyone grappling with the pervasiveness of behaviorism or seeking a thought-provoking exploration of motivation, Punished by Rewards is a rich and worthwhile read (or listen).
Learn more: https://www.alfiekohn.org/punished-rewards/
Submitted by Brooke Hackett, LCSW, RPT™
