The role of money and other types of feedback on motivation to do a task or job has long been of interest to managers in business. To examine Deci's hypothesis concerning the effects of contingent rewards on intrinsic task interest, 42 high school students worked puzzles involving the solution of mazes and anagrams. Competence in task was made salient by verbal praise in one condition, while in another verbal praise was used to recognize the obligatory nature of the task performance. In a third condition various monetary rewards were given as tasks were performed to make salient "above average competence," and in the fourth condition students were told they would receive one dollar for helping with the experiment. Optional puzzle items could be completed after the experiment. Students in the verbal praise for competence condition reported significantly higher task interest than those in the verbal feedback obligation or monetary payment for obligation students. The findings suggest that verbal praise for competence can be highly effective. (Author/JAC)