BiasSocial judgment · Attribution Bias · Entry 134
Extrinsic Incentives Bias – when you think others work for rewards, but you work for passion
Do you think your colleagues work just for money while you do it out of passion? That’s Extrinsic Incentives Bias – the tendency to believe others are motivated by external rewards while you act out of genuine interest.
Where it can show up
- Work & career – people assume their colleagues are driven by bonuses, while they themselves are dedicated to the job.
- Education – students believe others study for grades, but they do it for knowledge.
- Charity & altruism – someone else donates for publicity, but you do it because you genuinely care?
A practical countermeasure
- Don’t see yourself as special and others as transactional – everyone has both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.
- Put yourself in their shoes – maybe your coworker also loves their job, not just the paycheck.
- Don’t devalue others’ efforts – just because someone benefits doesn’t mean their motives aren’t sincere.