bunnyjadwiga

This will be in the April 7 issue of the journal Science.
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/406/3?etoc

Basically a study of students offered a choice of 2 token economies with 'community chest' investments, one in which slackers could be penalized and one in which they couldn't. Guess which one most of the participants eventually went to, and which was the most successful?

This may be the argument I've been looking for to explain why "Don't do [a task] if it's not fun" doesn't work for me as a way to run a volunteer organization; but then, look at the Damaraland mole-rats reported on by Nature, where up to 40% of the colony does less than 5% of the work-- but does that 5% in a particularly busy season... (Pennsic, anyone?)

Lucy Odling-Smee, "Evolution: It pays to laze." Nature 440, 748 (6 April 2006)
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v440/n7085/full/440748a.html