Monetary reward

2 papers7 findings

A human trial reports improved episodic memory and processing speed; an action-selection preprint reports faster responses and movements but reduced accuracy. Seven findings come from two independent labs in one country; H2020 European Research Council and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University each fund four. No human outcome is independently repeated.

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

2 independent labs in 1 country

Funders: H2020 European Research Council and 1 more

Human trial1
Humans1

Outcomes

Episodic memory

upin humans1

1 study

Monetary reward improves episodic memory in humans.
Human trialvisual recognition task
Preserved effects of monetary and social rewards on processing speed and episodic memory in aging: Evidence from task performance and skin conductance responses
International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology8 Oct 2026

Sympathetic arousal

upin humans1

1 study

Monetary reward increases sympathetic arousal in humans.
Human trialreward anticipation
Preserved effects of monetary and social rewards on processing speed and episodic memory in aging: Evidence from task performance and skin conductance responses
International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology8 Oct 2026

Processing speed

upin humans1

1 study

Monetary reward improves processing speed in humans.
Human trialreward available during an incentive delay task
Preserved effects of monetary and social rewards on processing speed and episodic memory in aging: Evidence from task performance and skin conductance responses
International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology8 Oct 2026

Selection accuracy

downin humans1

1 study

Monetary reward decreases selection accuracy in humans.
“reward shortened reaction time but reduced selection accuracy in both groups”
Human trialduring action selection
Differential impact of ageing on reward driven changes in motor control
bioRxiv27 Aug 2026Preprint

Reaction time

downin humans1

1 study

Monetary reward decreases reaction time in humans.
“During action selection, reward shortened reaction time but reduced selection accuracy in both groups”
Human trialduring action selection
Differential impact of ageing on reward driven changes in motor control
bioRxiv27 Aug 2026Preprint

Movement time

downin humans1

1 study

Monetary reward decreases movement time in humans.
“reduced movement time in both age groups without increasing error.”
Human trial
Differential impact of ageing on reward driven changes in motor control
bioRxiv27 Aug 2026Preprint

Maximum velocity

upin humans1

1 study

Monetary reward increases maximum velocity in humans.
“Reward increased maximum velocity and reduced movement time in both age groups without increasing error.”
Human trial
Differential impact of ageing on reward driven changes in motor control
bioRxiv27 Aug 2026Preprint