In this article, we will look at intrinsic motivation, define it, and explain the key things to know about this interesting psychological concept.
Behavior
Intrinsic motivation
In this article, we will look at intrinsic motivation, define it, and explain the key things to know about this interesting psychological concept.
Intrinsic motivation describes how our internal rewards systems drive how we behave in everyday life. Motivation can be derived from various sources; for example, extrinsic reinforcement brings the ‘carrot or stick’ approach to the things we may choose to do. But intrinsic motivation is driven by our beliefs, values systems, and passions – we feel motivated to do something because we’ll get a true sense of satisfaction from doing it. This alone differentiates intrinsic motivation from extrinsic motivation, as the latter is driven by the desire to be rewarded in some way or to achieve a defined outcome
Education resources
What are the main elements of intrinsic motivation?
Intrinsic motivation has three key elements. These are:
- Autonomy, or the ability to work independently
- Purpose, which describes the driver that compels us to do certain things for the sense of achievement in doing them, and;
- Mastery describes the state we achieve when we excel at something.
These three elements combine to create a sense of intrinsic motivation. People feel intrinsic motivation when they can act autonomously or independently, feel that the efforts they put into something will ultimately matter, and gain a sense of satisfaction from skills development to a desired end-point of mastery.
How does intrinsic motivation differ from extrinsic motivation?
Extrinsic motivation explains a state in which we engage in a particular behavior to either gain some external reward (such as payment) or to avoid a form of punishment (a fine, perhaps, for not following a rule.)
What is an academic definition of intrinsic motivation?
The concept of intrinsic motivation comes from psychology, and it’s used to explain the difference in our reward systems. This is because people find their own sense of motivation from different sources, internally and externally, depending on what they are considering and the implications of their activity.
One common definition of intrinsic behavior is explained in Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior With Concept Maps. The definition says that intrinsic motivation takes place when people act without obvious external rewards in any way. Instead, the ‘doer’ takes enjoyment from doing the activity or sees it as a chance to learn, explore and reach a fuller potential.
What is an example of intrinsic motivation?
An example of intrinsic motivation in action could be reading a book because they love the story and feel a sense of enjoyment and discovery. The reader might want to know more about the book or to be entertained and enjoy leisure time. They might even be reading a personal development or skills book to learn something new and to develop themselves personally. These are all intrinsic goals.
On the other hand, the reader could be working their way through a book because they need to pass an exam. Without knowing the book’s information, they might be at risk of failing the exam. Conversely, if they carefully learn the information within the book, they may get a good grade. In this instance, the actions are driven by extrinsic motivation.
How to know what drives you?
A good way to understand more about the psychological drivers that compel you to do something is to consider something you recently did purely for the love of it. For example, depending on what you enjoy, you might:
- Read a book, paint, or write
- Spend time with loved ones
- Plant a garden, go for a walk, or enjoy being in nature
- Take part in a fitness activity or sport you love, perhaps dancing or running.
In these cases, the activities provide happiness; we do them because we want to, not because we expect a prize or a certain outcome or to avoid a penalty.
Interestingly, the same activities can be carried out under different motivational drivers. For example, in the example above, we suggested that sport or fitness could be done for an intrinsic benefit or simply the love of being physical. But the same sport or fitness activity could also be done to achieve a goal, such as to win a medal, lose weight, or avoid a penalty, such as poor health from a sedentary lifestyle. So different motivation states can apply to the same outcome, depending on what compels us and the context.
How intrinsic motivations provide their rewards
When we think about extrinsic motivation, we consider it reward-driven (or driven by the desire to avoid some penalty.) But intrinsic motivation also provides its forms of reward.
Intrinsic motivation is behavior that arises from a true desire to do something without seeking money, a prize, promotion, or recognition, but the internal sense of pride, enjoyment, and happiness that comes from an intrinsic desire is a reward in itself. The act creates a powerful sense of positivity in the individual. These positive emotions could be:
- A sense of meaning from volunteering or being creative
- A sense of community and belonging, such as by taking part in a group activity or belonging to a church
- A sense of progress as you see your skills and competence development, such as when you participate in a hobby.
Why is the concept of intrinsic reinforcement important?
Psychologists have found that when external reinforcements – or rewards – are applied or offered to an activity that already offers intrinsic rewards, the activity becomes less intrinsically rewarding to the participant. For example, if you spend an afternoon a week volunteering at an animal shelter because you love it and are offered payment to do the same type of work, your love of that work is likely to diminish.
This is called the overjustification effect. It explains that with intrinsic enjoyment, the behavior is justified by the sense of satisfaction the individual already receives. By adding some extrinsic reinforcement, or reward, the individual may see the task as being over-justified and struggle to retain their original motivation.
The link with creativity
It is also helpful to note that people who are naturally intrinsically motivated in the task they are carrying out are more likely to be creative in doing it. This can apply at work as well as in leisure time. If you do something that you find interesting, rewarding, and challenging – for the love of it rather than to achieve a financial or objective gain – you are likely to be more creative at coming up with novel ideas.
How intrinsic motivation shows up in your life
This concept can drive every element of your life, particularly in the fields of:
- Work and education
- Career development
- Leisure time and
- Sports
Examples in education
Teachers look to create intrinsically rewarding environments to help stimulate learners and to encourage them to find their interests and motivation to learn. Unfortunately, many approaches to modern schooling over-emphasize the extrinsic rewards of grade scores to attempt to encourage educational attainment.
Examples in leisure time
You might create a beautiful garden because you love the satisfaction of watching things grow, not because you want to add value to your house. Equally, you might dress in a certain way because you love fashion and want to express your personality rather than to show that you are on-trend or to get external attention. If you do something that is ‘just for you’, your motivation is intrinsic.
What influences intrinsic motivation
- Challenge – people have more motivation to achieve when the goal is uncertain but not guaranteed.
- Control – people want to determine what they do and have control over it.
- Competition and cooperation – When people gain satisfaction from helping others, they are likely to be more intrinsically motivated. The same boost applies when competition is in the mix.
- Curiosity – when something in the individual’s physical environment grabs their attention, it encourages cognitive or sensory curiosity and boosts intrinsic motivation.
Summary
There are many things we do in our lives in pursuit of intrinsic motivation, and this help to build a balanced life. These are often simple pleasures that greatly resonate with us. By balancing intrinsic and extrinsic goals and activities, we can attain a sense of well-being, balance, and reward.
