介绍： You may have noticed that our modern world seems to be saturated with awards.

Many of these awards have been created in the past century. But awards have been around for millennia. The Greeks and Romans had them. Kings and queens have long given them to their bravest warriors. Societies all over the world ha...

介绍： You may have noticed that our modern world seems to be saturated with awards.

Many of these awards have been created in the past century. But awards have been around for millennia. The Greeks and Romans had them. Kings and queens have long given them to their bravest warriors. Societies all over the world have recognized their best citizens with prizes.

Awards are so ubiquitous that we rarely stop to ask, do they work? Do prizes inspire and motivate, or do they cause jealousy and resentment?

Economist Bruno Frey says that when awards are designed well, they can have a powerful effect on our behavior.

"When people are given an award, in general they are likely to work better, to be more engaged, to have, as we say, higher intrinsic motivation. That is, they like to work... and therefore are contributing really to the social good."

This week, we explore the upside, the downside, and the psychology of awards — and why Bruno thinks they may even be more effective than giving someone cash.