Immunolabeling provides evidence for subregions in the songbird nucleus accumbens and suggests a context-dependent role in song in male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

Birdsong is well known for its role in mate attraction during the breeding season. However, many birds, including European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), also sing outside the breeding season as part of large flocks. Song in a breeding context can be extrinsically rewarded by mate attraction; however, song in non-breeding flocks, referred to here as gregarious song, results in no obvious extrinsic reward and is proposed to be intrinsically rewarded. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a brain region well-known to mediate reward and motivation, which suggests it is an ideal candidate to regulate reward associated with gregarious song. The goal of this study was to provide new histochemical information on the songbird NAc and its subregions (rostral pole, core, and shell), and to begin to determine subregion-specific contributions to gregarious song in male starlings. We examined immunolabeling for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), neurotensin, and enkephalin (ENK) in NAc. We then examined the extent to which gregarious and sexually-motivated song differentially correlated with immunolabeling for the immediate early genes FOS and ZENK in each subdivision of NAc. We found that TH and ENK labeling within subregions of the starling NAc was generally similar to patterns seen in the core and shell of NAc in mammals and birds. Additionally, we found that gregarious song, but not sexually-motivated song, positively correlated with FOS in all NAc subregions. Our observations provide further evidence for distinct subregions within the songbird NAc and suggest the NAc may play an important role in regulating gregarious song in songbirds.

The Satisfaction Is Mine: Extrinsic Reward Reduces Desire for Revenge

Revenge is often driven by desire to feel gratified. Consequently, extrinsic reward should diminish revengeful cravings. One hundred fourteen participants received either insulting or praising feedback from another individual, were led to believe that they or the other individual won an unexpected monetary reward, and then indicated how much they desired revenge. Participants who received insulting feedback desired revenge more than praised counterparts, yet insulted participants who won the reward desired revenge less than those who did not win. This evidence emphasizes the need for personal satisfaction as fuel for revenge as well as highlights the importance of balancing the scales in retribution seeking.

Learning trajectories: Comparing the transitions of graduates of “Power Mechanical Engineering” and “Humanities and Social Sciences” programs

This study investigates and compares the learning trajectories of nine Taiwanese university graduates from a Power Mechanical Engineering (PME) program and nine from a cross-disciplinary Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) program. Participants had received their degrees 4–7 years prior to the study. The findings suggest the relative advantages and disadvantages of different models of educational design. Even though PME graduates complained about the abstract nature of what they had learned during the first part of their undergraduate study, most had successfully entered labor markets related to the PME industry, having obtained appropriate knowledge/skills for application in industry from the latter part of the program. While some prioritized their identity as a PME professional, others admitted that they liked the extrinsic reward of a comfortable living best. In contrast, even though most of the HSS graduates admired the generic curriculum of the program, with its transferability from one context to another and its close connection to the real world, and some deeply identified with the core value of being an agent of societal change once they had entered the labor market, many also admitted that it was difficult to find a suitable industry to enter unless they first acquired a Master’s degree with higher specificity.

Motivated semantic control: Exploring the effects of extrinsic reward and self-reference on semantic retrieval in semantic aphasia

Recent insights show increased motivation can benefit executive control, but this effect has not been explored in relation to semantic cognition. Patients with deficits of controlled semantic retrieval in the context of semantic aphasia (SA) after stroke may benefit from this approach since their deficits tend to be accompanied by deficits of cognitive control. We assessed the effect of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in healthy controls and semantic aphasia patients. Experiment 1 manipulated extrinsic reward using high or low levels of points for correct responses during a semantic association task. Experiment 2 manipulated the intrinsic value of items using self-reference; allocating pictures of items to the participant ('self') or researcher ('other') in a shopping game before people retrieved their semantic associations. These experiments revealed that patients, but not controls, showed better performance when given an extrinsic reward, consistent with the view that increased external motivation may help to ameliorate patients' semantic control deficits. However, while self-reference was associated with better episodic memory, there was no effect on semantic retrieval. We conclude that semantic control deficits can be reduced when extrinsic rewards are anticipated; this enhanced motivational state is expected to support proactive control, for example, through the maintenance of task representations. It may be possible to harness this modulatory impact of reward to combat the control demands of semantic tasks in SA patients.

Does intrinsic rewards and extrinsic reward system matter for employee performance? Evidence form IT Sector of Pakistan

Aim of this study is examined the effect of intrinsic reward and extrinsic reward system for employee performance in higher education institutes of Hyderabad, Pakistan. Primary data is collected through self-administered adopted questionnaire from previousstudies. Faculty member and staff of higher education institute and from cases of the total 200 cases from higher education Institutes of Hyderabad, Pakistan. For the analysis of gathered data many tests were applied such as reliability test, regression analysis. Findings, revealed the intrinsic reward and extrinsic reward system are found to positive and significant impact employee performance in higher education institutes of Hyderabad, Pakistan. In past studies various sector of Hyderabad, Pakistan havebeen explored in regard of intrinsic reward and extrinsic reward system and employee performance, based on our limited this is first study is explored in context of higher education institutes of Hyderabad, Pakistan.

Development of a Performance-Based Reward System Model for Job Satisfaction of Nurse

Introduction: a reward system is one of the motivators that managers can use to improve performance, but this is often overlooked. This research was conducted to develop a performance-based reward system model to increase nurse job satisfaction.Method: the design of this study used observational analytic, with a sample of 237 nurses from all nursing service units. Sampling using cluster random sampling. Data were analyzed using partial least square (PLS). Indicator variables namely reward, performance, reward system (intrinsic reward and extrinsic reward) were independent variables while job satisfaction variable was dependent variables.Results: there is an influence of the reward indicator on intrinsic reward (t = 3.940368> 1.96). There is an effect of reward indicator on extrinsic reward (t = 6.052527> 1.96). There is a performance effect on intrinsic reward (t = 8.504740> 1.96). There is a performance effect on extrinsic reward (t = 7.936353> 1.96). There is an influence of intrinsic reward on nurse job satisfaction (t = 6,257129> 1,96). There is an effect of extrinsic reward on nurse job satisfaction (t = 9,709050> 1,96).Conclusion: the reward system model in this study is influenced by reward and performance indicators. The development of reward system models can affect the job satisfaction of nurses. So that a performance-based reward system needs to be developed to increase nurse job satisfaction.

How Do Nascent Social Entrepreneurs Respond to Rewards? A Field Experiment on Motivations in a Grant Competition

We conducted a field experiment to identify the causal effect of extrinsic reward cues on the sorting and performance of nascent social entrepreneurs. The experiment, carried out with one of the United Kingdom’s largest support agencies for social entrepreneurs, encouraged 431 nascent social entrepreneurs to submit a full application for a grant competition that provides cash and in-kind mentoring through a one-time mailing sent by the agency. The applicants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group received a standard mailing that emphasized the intrinsic incentives of the program, or the opportunity to do good (Social treatment), and the other two groups received a mailing that instead emphasized the extrinsic incentives—either the financial reward (Cash treatment) or the in-kind reward (Support treatment). Our results show that an emphasis on extrinsic incentives has a causal impact on sorting into the applicant pool: the extrinsic reward cues led fewer candidates to apply and “crowded out” the more prosocial candidates while “crowding in” the more money-oriented ones. The extrinsic reward cues also increased application effort, which led these candidates to be more successful in receiving the grant. Yet the selection resulting from the extrinsic incentive cues led to worse performance at the end of the one-year grant period. Our results highlight the critical role of intrinsic motives in the selection and performance of social enterprises and suggest that using extrinsic incentives to promote the development of successful social enterprises may backfire in the longer run. This paper was accepted by Toby Stuart, entrepreneurship and innovation.