Intrinsic Motivation
Definition
Intrinsic motivation refers to behavior driven by internal rewards such as personal satisfaction or enjoyment derived from performing an activity itself rather than for some external reward.
Analogy
Imagine playing your favorite video game not because you want to win any prizes or beat anyone else's high score but simply because you love playing it. That's intrinsic motivation - you're doing it purely for your own enjoyment!
Related terms
Extrinsic Motivation: This is motivation driven by external rewards such as money, fame, grades etc., or punishments like criticism or fear of failure.
Self-Determination Theory (SDT): A theory of motivation that emphasizes the role of three universal needs – autonomy (self-control), competence (mastery), and relatedness (connection with others) – in driving human behavior.
Flow State: A mental state where one becomes fully immersed and focused on an activity they enjoy leading them to lose sense of time and self-consciousness. It often occurs when there's balance between challenge level and skill level involved in an activity.
"Intrinsic Motivation" appears in:
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (9)
- How does intrinsic motivation influence self-regulated learning?
- What research design could best examine the influence of intrinsic motivation on standardized test scores?
- How does intrinsic motivation differ from extrinsic motivation?
- How might researchers design a novel experiment to explore the interaction between intrinsic motivation and self-determination theory?
- How does intrinsic motivation influence an individual’s pursuit of personal goals?
- How does intrinsic motivation differ from extrinsic motivation?
- What is the primary focus of Intrinsic Motivation according to Cognitive Evaluation Theory?
- What is the correlation between intrinsic motivation for learning and academic achievement based on Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory?
- How might a psychologist test the impact of intrinsic motivation on learning new skills, considering the principles of operant conditioning?
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