The overjustification effect is a cited criticism of educational and other programs that use reward and reinforcers. The overjustification hypothesis is that the delivery of an extrinsic (socially mediated) reward for an activity that occurs at some level without apparent socially mediated reinforcement will result in a reduction in the amount of that activity from baseline levels (reduction in intrinsic motivation) when the reward phase is discontinued. This study was a direct replication of the landmark study evaluating the overjustification hypothesis conducted by Deci (1971). Deci evaluated the effects of money and verbal praise on undergraduate students’ performances on a puzzle task. Deci concluded that intrinsic interest decreased when money was used as a reward. In the current study, subjects were 24 undergraduate students who were asked to complete puzzle configurations. Measures of engagement with the puzzle pieces during periods in which the subjects did not know they were being observed were collected across conditions (i.e., baseline, monetary reward, and return to baseline). Contrary to previous findings, both groups showed a decrease in engagement across the study, and individual data varied greatly. These findings did not provide support for the overjustification effect. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)