Extrinsic vs.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation is the experience of wanting something or wanting to avoid it.

When we study how we get motivated to learn, develop, and succeed, we can identify two
contrary forces: extrinsic and intrinsic ones.

On the one hand, we want to belong, desire to be loved and seek to get the attention we
think we deserve. We are motivated extrinsically by rewards, in order to progress socially.

On the other hand, we strive to explore things that are satisfying in themselves,
disregarding rewards. We are motivated intrinsically, by a natural curiosity which we
follow because it feels right. The opinions of others don’t matter.

Researchers have found that each type has a different effect on a person's behavior and
pursuit of goals.
To better understand the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on human
behavior, it will help to learn how each type works.

What Is Extrinsic Motivation?

Extrinsic motivation is when we are motivated to perform a behavior or engage in an
activity because we want to earn a reward or avoid punishment. These rewards can be
tangible, such as money or grades, or intangible, such as praise or fame. 

People who are extrinsically motivated will continue to perform a task even though it
might not be in and of itself rewarding. For example, they will engage in behavior not
because they enjoy it or because they find it satisfying, but because they expect to get
something in return or avoid something unpleasant.

Extrinsic motivation is involved in operant conditioning, which is when someone or

something is conditioned to behave a certain way due to a reward or consequence.

What Is Intrinsic Motivation?

Intrinsic motivation is when you engage in a behavior because you find it rewarding. You
are performing an activity for its own sake rather than from the desire for some external
reward. The behavior itself is its own reward.

"Intrinsic motivation occurs when we act without any obvious external rewards. We simply
enjoy an activity or see it as an opportunity to explore, learn, and actualize our potentials."
Consider for a moment your motivation for watching this presentation. If you are watching
it because you have an interest in psychology and simply want to know more about the
topic of motivation, then you are acting based upon intrinsic motivation.
But you might be watching this because you have to learn the information for a class and
want to avoid getting a bad grade. Then you are acting based upon extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic Motivation Intrinsic Motivation

Participating in a sport to win awards Participating in a sport because you find
the activity enjoyable
Cleaning your room to avoid being Cleaning your room because you like
reprimanded by your parents tidying up
Competing in a contest to win a scholarship Solving a word puzzle because you find the
challenge fun and exciting
Studying because you want to get a good Studying a subject, you find fascinating
grade

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation: Which Is Best?

Extrinsic motivation arises from outside of the individual while intrinsic motivation comes
from within. Research has shown that each type has a different effect on human behavior.

Studies have demonstrated that offering excessive external rewards for an already
internally rewarding behavior can reduce intrinsic motivation—a phenomenon known as
the overjustification effect.

For example, in a 2008 study, children who were rewarded for playing with a toy they had
already expressed interest in playing with became less interested in the item after being
externally rewarded.

This is not to suggest that extrinsic motivation is a bad thing—it can be beneficial in some
situations. For example, extrinsic motivation can be particularly helpful when a person
needs to complete a task that they find unpleasant.
When to Use External Rewards When Not to Use External Rewards
Motivate a person to learn something new A person is already interested in the topic,
task, or activity
Make a person more interested in an Offering a reward would make the activity
activity that they are not interested in feel like "work" instead of "play"
Provide feedback to people to let them
know their performance is worthy of
 recognition

When to Use Extrinsic Motivation

Most people assume that intrinsic motivation is best, but it is not always possible in every
situation. Sometimes a person simply has no internal desire to engage in an activity.
Offering excessive rewards can be problematic as well.

However, when they are used appropriately, extrinsic motivators can be a useful tool. For
example, extrinsic motivation can get people to complete a work task or school assignment
that they are not interested in.

Researchers have arrived at three primary conclusions regarding extrinsic rewards and
their influence on intrinsic motivation:
1. Intrinsic motivation will decrease when external rewards are given for
completing a particular task or only doing minimal work. If parents heap lavish
praise on their child every time they complete a simple task, the child will become
less intrinsically motivated to perform that task in the future.
2. Praise can increase internal motivation. Researchers have found that offering
positive praise and feedback when people do something better than others can
improve intrinsic motivation.
3. Unexpected external rewards do not decrease intrinsic motivation. If you get a
good grade on a test because you enjoy learning about a subject and the teacher
decides to reward you with a gift card to your favorite pizza place, your underlying
motivation for learning about the subject will not be affected. However, rewarding
in this situation needs to be done with caution because people will sometimes come
to expect rewards.

How Do Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic Motivation Influence Learning?

Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation play a significant role in learning. Experts have
argued that education's traditional emphasis on external rewards (such as grades, report
cards, and gold stars) undermines any existing intrinsic motivation that students might
have.

Others have suggested that extrinsic motivators help students feel more competent in the
classroom, which in turn enhances their intrinsic motivation.

A Final Word
Both extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation drive human behavior. There are several
key differences between motivation that comes from external rewards and the kind that is
driven by an individual's genuine interest, including the influence of each type on a
person's behavior and the situations in which each type will be most effective.

Understanding how each type of motivation works and when it is likely to be useful can
help people perform tasks (even when they do not want to) and improve their learning.

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