In 1973, Stanford researchers promised preschoolers a gold-star award for drawing, and the children who drew for the prize later drew less and made worse pictures: the quiet cost of a childhood built on approval

External rewards reshape what children create, turning playful exploration into a performance for applause—with consequences that persist long after the gold star fades. The post In 1973, Stanford researchers promised preschoolers a gold-star award for drawin…