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

  • Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink

    1787 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ever since I began my teaching career, I have been fascinated with the topic of motivation and the role it plays in student learning. Daniel Pink’s book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, has been on my personal reading list for a couple of years now, and I was elated to find that it was one of the recommended books to read for this assignment. I have often wondered why some of my students, and even one of my own children, are more internally driven than others to complete a given task. Now that I am in the process of becoming a school administrator, my curiosity about what motivates adults has been heightened, as well. In the hopes of finding some insight, and perhaps the answers to some of my burning questions, I finally picked up Daniel Pink’s book and began reading.

    Read More

  • 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

  • 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

    The author trusts that all humans have some level of motivation as long as they exist. In turn, there are several well-known classic approaches that consider motivation such as instinct, drive reduction, arousal, incentive, and humanistic approaches. It is beyond the scope of this paper to describe all in detail, but a brief synopsis of each follows: (1) Instinct approach theorists suggest that humans have many diverse instincts that are biologically determined and cause innate patterns of behaviors such as reproducing, territorial protection, curiosity, acquisition, and fight, flight or freeze to name a few (McDougall, 1908). (2) Drive-reduction theory proposes that individuals have needs that are essential for survival and this need cause a tension to act called a drive. These drives entail the primary drives for physical needs (water and food) and the acquired drives learned through experience or conditioning (need for money or social approval); whereas, one must meet the need to return to a state of homeostasis (Hull, 1943). (3) Theorists who support an Arousal approach believe that humans are motivated by stimulation and people develop an optimal level of stimulus tension; whereas, task performances may suffer if the level is too high such as severe test anxiety or even too low such as boredom (Teigen, 1994). (4) Incentive

    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

  • Analysis Of The Boston Consulting Group

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    As human beings it is difficult for us to efficiently conduct a task that is not of our interest. Although most, if not all, of us want to succeed in our endeavors, such is often difficult when the task is one we seldom care about. This is where the concept of motivation comes into play. As per the class textbook, motivation is defined as “The processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.”(Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 202). Motivation plays a huge factor in how intensely and efficiently an employee goes about performing a task.

    Read More

  • Motivation In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    552 Words  | 2 Pages

    motivation is a behavior that makes people want to struggle all the time until he or she achieved the things that they all wanted. motivation can be divided into two ways, intrinsic and extrinsic. the intrinsic one usually comes from his or her desire and this method is really proven that it can possibly achieved if this intrinsic method is used because we do not need to rely on people around like friends mostly. the extrinsic one is the reversal from the intrinsic that we rely on the people who taught us to be motivated and this method quite or often proven or succeed because human also need a help each other.

    Read More

  • Theories of Motivation

    473 Words  | 1 Pages

    What is motivation? According to 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. Depending on how motivated we are, it may further determine the effort we put into our work and therefore increase the standard of the productivity. There have been a wide variety of theories about motivation developed over the years. Several are drive-reduction theory, arousal theory, psychosocial (both incentive and cognitive) theory, and Maslow’s H...

    Read More

  • Motivation In The Workplace Essay

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    Motivation is key in the workplace. It is developed from the collaboration of both conscious and unconscious principles such as the strength of desire or need, motivating force or reward estimation of the objective, and desires of the person and of his or her peers/co-workers. These elements are the reasons one has for carrying on a specific way. An illustration is an understudy that invests additional energy contemplating for a test since he or she needs a superior review in the class. The Inside and outside principles that animate want and vitality in individuals to be constantly intrigued and centered around their work, part or subject, or to try to achieve an objective.

    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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Reflection Paper On Personal Learning

    2945 Words  | 6 Pages

    Motivation, as defined in class, is the energy and commitment a person is prepared to dedicate to a task. In most of organisations, motivation is one of the most troublesome problems. Motivation is about the intensity, direction and persistence of reaching a goal. During the class, we have learned a substantial theories of motivation and many theories of motivations are used in real business. Each theory seems to have different basic values. But, they all have been analysed for one reason, recognising what motivates and increases the performance of employees. Ident...

    Read More

  • Importance Of Motivation To Learning

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    Motivation is really important tool in a learning environment. Also motivation effects student learning and their behavior as well. It directs behavior towards particular targets. Also it effect the decision which students takes. In motivation mainly we have two types which is intrinsically and extrinsically being motivated. For example: when a student is intrinsically motivated they just do it for themselves not because of the reward that they will get back. It’s just because they have their own interest and they enjoy doing that. On the other side, when a student is extrinsically motivated they just do it for the reward that they will get. That’s why in learning process it’s important that each student should

    Read More

More about Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

Open Document