Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

1091 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: factors that aid student motivation

Motivation can be defined as the desire or inspiration to carry out specific tasks or to do something. Motivation is required when goals are being set and more so in their execution. In a work setting, motivation can be defined as a process through which individuals choose between alternative forms of behavior with the aim of achieving personal objectives. The goals sought by individuals can be extrinsic or relatively tangible such as monetary rewards and promotion, or intrinsic or intangible such as self esteem or job satisfaction (Armstrong, 2006). In learning, the desire to attain good grades is what motivates a student to study hard everyday as they prepare for the exam. On the other hand, for a teacher to put his best foot forward, he has to be motivated by the desire to see his students come out tops at the end of term or year. Being passionate and interested in a particular thing is also a big motivator to pursue the same to completion. In other words, motivation is mostly an intrinsic quality within a person that persuades him/her to focus on a certain thing over and above another thing. Even though motivation is in its most natural intrinsic, it can also be acquired and encouraged through learning how to set achievable goals and persistently pursuing them. Interest in a certain task or goal gives an individual the drive, persistence, right level of involvement and focus, which are all characteristics of motivation (Psychyl, 2008). Motivation towards a specific task is also determined by values of the person and the person’s perception of the particular issue. There are mainly two types of motivation; intrinsic motivation which is basically self-motivation based on interest and belief in a certain task or doing an activity...

... middle of paper ...

...man, H.A., & McKie, R.L. (2006). Goal orientation, task difficulty and task interest: A multilevel analysis. Motivation and Emotion.

Lepper M., Corpus J., and Iyengar S. (2005). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Orientations in the Classroom: Age Differences and Academic Correlates. Journal of Education Psychology Vol. 97, No. 2, 184 – 196.

Psychyl, T. (2008). Don’t Delay: How do task difficulty and interest affect our goal setting? Retrieved 13 February 2012 from

Ryan, R. and Deci, E. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and

New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology 25, 54–67.

Whitehead, J. (1991). Physical Activity and Intrinsic Motivation. PCPFS Research Digest. Series 1, No. 2, 3 – 6.

Show More
Related

  • Intrinsic Vs Extrinsic Motivation Essay

    487 Words  | 1 Pages

    Based on the different reasons or goals that give rise to an action, motivation can be classified into intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2000). The first type, intrinsic motivation, refers to doing something because “it is inherently interesting or enjoyable” (Ryan and Deci, 2000, p. 55). This type of motivation refers to the reasons for L2 learning that are derived from one’s inherent pleasure and interest in the activity and the activity is performed because of the spontaneous satisfaction associated with it (Noels, 2001). Researchers (e.g. (Vallerand, 1997; Vallerand et al., 1992; Noels et al., 2000) have categorized intrinsic motivation into three subtypes: (1) intrinsic motivation-Knowledge, which is the motivation

    Read More

  • Exploring the Aspects of Self-Determination Theory

    1543 Words  | 4 Pages

    Most recent theories on motivation conclude that people will start certain behaviors under the belief that this behavior will accomplish desired goals or outcomes. With Lewin (1936) and Tolman (1932) leading the charge, the goal-oriented behavior led researchers to want to understand more on the psychological value people attribute to goals, people’s expectations on reaching these goals, and the structures which keep people striving to achieve these goals. After some recent findings on goal-oriented behavior, researchers were able to differentiate different types of goals, whereas before researchers assumed that goals that were valued the same, with the same expectations of achievement, would need the same amount

    Read More

  • Motivational And Drivers: The Theories Of Cultural Motivational Drivers

    800 Words  | 2 Pages

    Motivation is the desire to accomplish something and it could be described in two ways: Intrinsic and Extrinsic (Ryan and Deci, 2000) - Intrinsic motivation is described by an interior desire to do things out of pleasure or love, worthy of note is that intrinsic motivation is not same to all individuals i.e all people are not motivated similarly by the same thing. Extrinsic motivation is concerning doing things exclusively for their result it is the opposite of intrinsic motivation, here rewards or punishment motivates people which comes as an effect of events external to the persons (Ryan and Deci 2000).

    Read More

  • Theories of Motivation

    473 Words  | 1 Pages

    Theories of Motivation What is the motivation for this? According to the text, motivation is defined as a set of factors that activate, direct, and maintain behavior, usually toward a certain goal. Motivation is the energy that makes us do things; this is a result of our individual needs being satisfied so that we have inspiration to complete the mission. These needs vary from person to person as everybody has their individual needs to motivate themselves.

    Read More

  • Theories of Teaching and Learning

    1940 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Motivation is the process whereby goal-orientated activity is instigated and sustained” (Schunk, Pintrich & Meece, 2008. As cited in Eggen & Kauchak, 2010, p.284). Motivation comes in many forms and can be divided into two broad categories - extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivators are external factors which can motivate a student; rewards are an example of this. An issue with extrinsic motivators is that the desire for the learner to participate often lessens, once the rewards are withdrawn (McCullers, 1987). On the other hand intrinsic motivation comes from within - learning for the joy of it - where the desire to learn leads to a higher level of knowledge, and is a reward in itself. Kohn (1996, p.285) states that research suggests, “Rewards actually decrease interest in intrinsically motivating tasks, therefore sending the wrong message about learning” (as cited in Eggen & Kauchak, 2010a)

    Read More

  • Motivation And Extrinsic Motivation

    1388 Words  | 3 Pages

    The author believes that goals and desires require an individual to be motivated to move from one state of being to the next. This motivation encompasses the emotional, cognitive, social, and biological drives that trigger behavior (Maslow, 1943). Accordingly, the word motivation befalls the frequently used description of why an individual achieves a goal, and the term motivation originates from the Latin root movere, which means “to move.” Therefore, motivation stands as the state that “moves” an individual to act in a particular way. For instance, when one is lying on the beach on a warm summer day and begins to feel hot, the physical need to cool down might cause one to stand up, go to the water for a dip. If the heat remains too over-bearing,

    Read More

  • Extrinsic Motivation And Motivation

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    Goals and desires require an individual to be motivated to move from one state of being to the next. This motivation encompasses the emotional, cognitive, social, and biological drives that trigger behavior. Accordingly, the word motivation befalls the frequently used description of why an individual achieves a goal, and the word motivation comes from the Latin word movere, which means “to move.” Therefore, motivation stands as the state that “moves” an individual to behave in certain ways. For example, when a person is relaxing on the beach on a warm summer day and begins to feel hot, the physical need to cool down might cause a person to stand up, go to the water for a dip. If the heat is great enough, the person might even leave the beach

    Read More

  • Intrinsic Motivation And Effective Learning

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the text, “ Therefore, motivation to learn can be defined as the psychological process that direct and sustain student’s behavior toward learning.” (Moreno 328) In other words, motivation is a mental desire that comes from your mind when you find something familiar that matches with your comfort level towards learning. For example, when is child motivated? They are motivated when they are given the activities they are actually interested in. If the lesson is out of what they expected it to be, then, automatically they lose their interest on doing it. One claim that can be made is, Effective Learning occurs when teacher promotes Intrinsic Motivation in the classroom. “Intrinsic Motivation is defined as the

    Read More

  • Extrinsic vs Intrinsic Motivation

    329 Words  | 1 Pages

    What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? What would you do as a future teacher to enhance intrinsic motivation in your students?

    Read More

  • Intrinsic Motivation

    2798 Words  | 6 Pages

    Sometimes a student can be fascinated in a subject and are eager to learn more without outside influence or help. This kind of a situation is when there exists a large amount of intrinsic incentive to motivate a child. It is when a student enjoys an aspect of an activity enough to be motivated within. An intrinsic incentive could arise in any subject of interest such as dinosaurs, famous people, or far off places. However, topics that are learned in schools today do not arouse children since they find the information useless in their everyday lives (Slavin, 2000). The role of personal interest is crucial in a learning situation. It has been proven that a child who is intrinsically motivated tend to make use of strategies that require a larger amount of effort and that allow them to develop more intensely. They prefer tasks of higher levels than an extrinsically motivated child (Lumsden, 1994). Internal motivation is longer lasting that external motivation. When students achieve a feeling of satisfaction, learning occurs more successfully (HCC Intranet, 2001). In order to ensure students are intrinsically motivated, teachers must use certain strategies to encourage this type of learning.

    Read More

  • Intrinsic Motivation Essay

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    Intrinsic motivation is the act of being motivated through internal satisfactions and enjoyment as oppose to external rewards (Ryan and Deci, 2000). The concept of intrinsic motivation has been linked to the success of games in education due

    Read More

  • Theories of Motivation

    1158 Words  | 3 Pages

    Benabou, R. & Tirole, J. (2003) ‘Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation', The Review of Economic Studies, vol.70, pg.489-520.

    Read More

  • Motivation And Motivation

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Inversely, intrinsic motivation is easily identifiable in an individual, but can be more difficult to support within a classroom. Henley wrote, “The strongest incentives occur naturally. The job in reading an entertaining story or the feeling of competence after solving a mathematical problem reinforces the desire to read or calculate.” (p 122) Teachers should strive to support students who are naturally intrinsically motivated so they stay that way, and perhaps instill some of theses principles in students who are more extrinsically inclined. In the classroom this support may include empowering students to be a part of the decision-making in their class and giving students responsibility over their education. It is important to note that deadlines, evaluations, and imposed goals, are common in school, but fundamentally undermine intrinsic motivation. It might not be realistic to think that a teacher can completely eliminate all that undermines intrinsic motivation, but a teacher leading with intentionality can mitigate the effects, and eliminate as much as possible, the external motivating

    Read More

  • Theories Within the Classroom Environment

    1479 Words  | 3 Pages

    Theorists believe that motivation within the classroom has its benefits when able to produce work from students. Some students have the ability to work without much motivation. This is known as intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is where students are able to motivate themselves and produce work at high standard. The students have to be determined to strive and have the self-ability to do the work that is needed (Brewer, Dun, Olszewski, 1988). Students who need more praise and encouragement to produce work come under the category of extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is about rewarding the students for their work. If a student is able to get done what they have been asked, they will be rewarded with for example a sticker or a lucky dip. Extrinsic motivation for some students means the reward is...

    Read More

  • The Importance of Motivation in the Classroom

    3154 Words  | 7 Pages

    It is first important to understand how motivation works in the classroom. There are infinite procedures teachers use to achieve desired effects from their students, but there are general patterns these motivational tools follow. In order for teachers to communicate with their students, they must identify with their needs on an individual basis (Gawel, 1997). This proposal is much akin to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which states five basic needs that must be met in order to achieve full motivation. These needs, in ascending order, are as follows: physiological, security, love and belongingness, esteem and self-respect, and self-actualization (Gawel, 1997). Each of these needs details a very important issue in motivation inside the classroom and out.

    Read More

More about Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

Open Document