Which of the following is an example of material incentives?

• A. Sense of responsibility to the community
• B. Private property rights
• C. Increased wages
• D. Government regulations

Answer: (C)

Material incentives are tangible monetary rewards that influence behavior by changing the cost-benefit balance of actions. Increased wages fit this idea directly, since a higher paycheck is a concrete financial gain that motivates someone to work harder or stay with an employer. The other options involve non-monetary or structural factors: a sense of responsibility to the community appeals to values or ethics rather than money; private property rights are legal rights that affect ownership rather than serving as a paid incentive; and government regulations are rules that guide or constrain behavior rather than provide a monetary reward. So, the wage increase is the clear example of a material incentive.