If-Then Rewards

Pink distinguished sharply between two reward structures. If-then rewards are prospective and contingent: the reward is promised before the work begins, specifying in advance what behavior will earn it. Now-that rewards are retrospective and noncontingent: the reward arrives after the fact, as acknowledgment of quality that has already been demonstrated. The distinction is not semantic. If-then rewards systematically trigger the overjustification effect for intrinsically motivated work because they redefine the purpose of the work in external terms before the work begins. Now-that rewards can enhance intrinsic motivation because they confirm that internally generated quality is valued, without making external acknowledgment the goal. The prescription for AI-age organizational design flows directly from this distinction — metrics systems must shift from prospective incentivization to retrospective recognition.