Verywell / Joshua Seong
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation refer to the forces that drive behavior.
Internal motivation arises from within, while external motivation comes from outside forces.
If you are extrinsically motivated, you’ll do it to get a reward.
Verywell / Joshua Seong
At a Glance
Why do we do the things we do?
What drives our behavior?
Intrinsic motivation comes from within, and extrinsic motivation from without.
However, it pays to be careful since excessive external rewards can sometimes dampen intrinsic motivation.
Is It Extrinsic or Intrinsic Motivation?
What Are Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation?
Intrinsic motivationis 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.
Extrinsic motivation arises from outside of the individual, while intrinsic motivation comes from within.
Research has shown that each bang out has a different effect on human behavior.
This is not to suggest that extrinsic motivation is a bad thingit can be beneficial in some situations.
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.
However, rewarding in this situation must be done with caution because people will sometimes come toexpectrewards.
When used appropriately, such rewards can help boost motivation, creativity, and performance.
Takeaway
Both extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation drive human behavior.
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