What Is Intrinsic Motivation?

You might find it helpful to understand that intrinsic motivation means doing things for internal rewards, like enjoyment, satisfaction, or personal challenge.

Just to give you an example: you read a book because you find it fascinating and not because someone promised you a reward. You solve puzzles for the fun and the challenge they bring.

When you’re intrinsically motivated, the activity itself feels satisfying – free from any outside pressures. You don’t have to push or prod. It happens because it comes from within!

You might notice how tasks driven by intrinsic motivation usually lead to higher creativity and persistence, as this happens because your main drive comes from within, which creates deeper and lasting engagement. When you address a difficult problem for the joy of solving it, you’re more likely to think creatively and stick with it until you find an answer. The joy from the process itself keeps you going!

It’s helpful to keep in mind that intrinsic motivation also leads to long-term involvement in activities. When you’re interested in what you’re doing, you like to stick with it over time. Picture your hobbies or personal projects you’ve maintained throughout the years. These usually come from intrinsic motivation, too.

The fun and the challenge of the activity keep you going in a way that external rewards just can’t match!

Let’s talk about extrinsic next.

What Is Extrinsic Motivation?

You usually chase outside rewards or try to dodge bad outcomes. When you go to work, you do it for the paycheck that’s waiting for you at the end of the month. It’s clear you don’t always go in because the job is fun but because money is calling. These are examples of extrinsic motivation.

Take a moment to pick up your textbooks and think why. You study to get good grades, and these are outside rewards. These grades show your effort and meet your parents’ or teachers’ expectations. When you help a colleague or volunteer at an event, you want praise or a perk for your resume. These actions open doors for future chances.

Think about loyalty programs. They grab your attention, and every time you use a loyalty card while shopping, you’re driven by discounts or benefits. Right? Or, you should think about why you can’t ignore cleaning your home. Do you love tidying up or just trying to avoid your partner’s nagging? (The latter shows you’re driven by avoidance.)

Posting on social media? Same – it’s rarely just for sharing joy. Understand that you look for social approval and count those likes and comments. Or, paying taxes isn’t for fun! You do it to avoid fines or legal problems, right?

Think about pursuing a higher degree to make your parents proud, not because the subject excites you. You say yes to business trips because the boss insists, not because you’re passionate about the place or job.

All of these are examples of extrinsic motivation. While outside motivation gets you moving fast, keep in mind it only keeps you going short-term. You do well with rewards or looming problems, and staying motivated long-term gets tough once those outside factors fade away.

What Are the Important Differences?

When you look at intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, you see the differences. Intrinsic motivation pushes you by things inside you, like personal happiness, fun, or feeling good about what you’ve done. Just think about reading a book because you love it, playing a sport because it’s fun, or learning new things because you’re curious. These activities make you feel good and meet your basic needs for choice, skill, and belonging. You get more involved and feel connected, which definitely improves your creativity and ideas.

Now, I recommend you think about extrinsic motivation. It pushes you with outside rewards or threats of punishment. Just to give you an example, you might study for a good grade, work for the money, or volunteer to help with your resume. These motivations pay attention to getting things like money, fame, or staying away from bad outcomes – short-term wins, although they don’t meet the deeper psychological needs that intrinsic motivations do. This usually leads to a drop in quality and a lack of long-term interest.

Why does this difference matter to you? You see, intrinsic motivation usually keeps you involved and interested, which can help with your performance and regular effort. On the flip side, extrinsic motivation might get you to your immediate goals but falls short in keeping up high performance over time.

How Do They Interact?

You know, it’s pretty interesting to talk about how inside and outside motivation work together. Picture working on something because you love doing it and also needing to finish it to get a bonus. Ever find yourself in that situation? You see, combining these kinds of motivations can either help or hurt your drive. External rewards can help with your inner drive, but focusing too much on them might actually do the opposite.

Ever heard of the undermining effect? Think about how you enjoy painting just for fun. Now, let’s say you start to get paid for your art, and suddenly, it feels different. Why does this happen?

It’s because you shift from painting for joy to painting for cash. Doesn’t this change everything about how you actually feel? Your control goes from inside you to outside forces. Can a model explain this? Yes, you can look at the Rubicon model since it explains actions with inside and outside parts, and that can be a big help.

Take a moment to think about your sense of control or agency. You know, when you believe you control your actions, your inner drive stays strong. But when outside factors take over, you feel like a puppet on strings. Ever felt that way?

It’s draining, isn’t it?

Focus also on your goal-setting because it’s important in this process. Think about your goals and the rewards at the end. When setting a goal, you always weigh the pros and cons, right? This cost-benefit thinking matches some economic models. They recommend your actions be driven by the rewards or penalties you expect. So, next time you set a goal, remember how these little motivations play together. Six words to keep in mind: don’t let rewards steal your joy!

The Effect on Behavior and Performance

You might understand how your motivations, both intrinsic and extrinsic, affect your behavior and performance. Intrinsic motivation – that comes from within you – pushes you to do activities for personal satisfaction and even enjoyment. This type of motivation usually leads to better results because you’re connected to what interests and excites you. When you feel intrinsically motivated, your creativity and persistence grow even when things get tough.

Have you thought about extrinsic motivation, the kind that comes from outside you, like rewards or punishments? It can be helpful for tasks with clear and specific goals. Have you ever seen how quickly you finish something when there’s a reward involved? That’s exactly extrinsic motivation pushing you to get it done fast. But watch out – depending too much on outside rewards can hurt your inner drive. This is the overjustification effect, where too many rewards make you less likely to keep doing something just because you enjoy it.

Can you see how this shows up in your everyday life? For tasks you don’t care about, extrinsic motivation can help you push through and finish them. But if you’re working on something that needs deep thinking, creativity, or long-term effort, you need to be intrinsically motivated. When driven by inner satisfaction, you’re more likely to put in extra effort. You will go beyond what’s needed and come up with new ideas, launching innovation.

Have you thought about how to balance both types of motivation for the best results? While extrinsic motivation works well for simple tasks, it also adds parts that help with your intrinsic motivation, which can lead to longer-lasting and more fulfilling success. Curiosity, challenge, recognition, and teamwork can help your inner drive.

So, you need to know when to use intrinsic motivation for complicated and creative tasks and when to trust extrinsic motivation for easier and goal-oriented activities.

Where Does Self-Determination Theory Come In?

First, within the framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), it’s helpful to pay attention to your internal sources of motivation. Pay attention to your natural drive toward personal growth and fulfillment. This theory suggests that your need for growth drives your behavior as you try to meet basic psychological needs like autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

So, what does this mean for your intrinsic motivation? Intrinsic motivation thrives on self-satisfaction, interest, and enjoyment. You do things because they please you or challenge you to develop new skills. This kind of motivation meets your needs for autonomy (choosing your actions), competence (being good at what you do), and relatedness (connecting with others).

Compare this with extrinsic motivation, also since that’s driven by external rewards or staying away from punishment. You might do a job not because you find it fun but because of pressures like money, grades, or approval from others. Extrinsic motivation doesn’t meet your basic psychological needs and that leads to less satisfaction in the long run.

So, why bother distinguishing between these two types of motivation? Studies show intrinsic motivation leads to higher levels of achievement and psychological health compared to extrinsic motivation. When you’re motivated from within, it’s easy to enjoy improved creativity, persistence, and happiness. Think of working on something you enjoy versus something you only do for an external reward. There’s a big difference, right?

SDT also has ideas on how you can create intrinsic motivation even in environments filled with extrinsic rewards. You might create autonomy by giving yourself or others choices and control over actions to help with intrinsic motivation. How can you create chances for competence and relatedness in your everyday activities? Easy changes like setting personal challenges or finding communities of like-minded people can help with your intrinsic motivation.

Applications in Education and Workplace

You might have wondered about what drives you. When you’re in the classroom or the office, knowing what motivates you can change your outcomes and experiences. Do you find yourself driven by a love for learning or the promise of a reward? This difference can be game-changing for you. Think about it: you can picture a classroom where students engage not because they have to but because they want to. In subjects that may not catch your interest as easily, grades and other rewards can give you the needed push to keep going.

You should think about how intrinsic motivation fuels engagement and productivity at work. When you find meaning and satisfaction in your job, you’ll probably go the extra mile, bring fresh ideas, and stay committed. It’s true – bonuses or promotions matter, too. These external rewards help you meet deadlines and hit specific targets. Isn’t it amazing how the right mix of motivations can create a unique and driven team? Your challenge lies here – finding what speaks to your team’s unique blend. Wow!

It’s helpful, so let’s zoom out and think about putting this into practice. Ask yourself, what steps should you take to balance these motivational drivers in your life? It’s helpful. Have you thought about how you could use both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to reach your personal and professional goals? If you’re working towards academic success or going for career growth, recognizing these motivations can be eye-opening for you.

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