Rewards may help people change habits, but the gain fades after the rewards stop

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   10,585 adults took part in 34 trials, mostly in the US. The paper does not give their ages.

2. 02

   What they did

   People offered rewards got money, vouchers or a chance to win a lottery for reaching a target, such as quitting smoking. The other groups got the same treatment without rewards. Schemes lasted from three weeks to 18 months.

3. 03

   What happened

   Rewards helped people hit their targets at six months, and still at 12 to 18 months, but not after 18 months. Two to three months after the rewards stopped, the gain held, but not at three to six months or beyond six months. Physical activity did not change, and the finding that deprived people gained more appeared in one analysis only.

What the review found

1. Helped

   Across 33 comparisons, rewards helped people reach goals at six months, against no rewards.

   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing ittested

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs the same treatment without rewards

2. Helped

   Across 13 comparisons, rewards still helped people reach goals from 12 to 18 months, against no rewards.

   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing ittested

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs the same treatment without rewards

3. No difference

   Across 5 comparisons, rewards did not help goals after 18 months, against no rewards.

   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing itused

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs the same treatment without rewards

4. Helped

   Across 11 comparisons, rewards still helped people reach goals two to three months after they stopped, against none.

   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing ittested

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs no rewards

Source