Motivation: Intrinsic versus Extrinsic

Motivation: Intrinsic versus Extrinsic

Introduction

There are different reasons for which a person can be motivated. Over a period of a lifetime, and throughout the day a person behaves, acts, and reacts differently on the basis of the circumstances that are surrounded due to their decisions. A student might feel challenged, satisfied, and enthusiastic to undertake complex projects, when he or she feels supported in an educational environment. However, a student might feel lost, disengaged in class, and apathetic in the classroom, when he or she is studying in a controlled and rigid environment. A student, who feels engaged, enthusiastic, and supported, is surrounded by the positive form of motivation like intrinsic motivation. When an individual is surrounded by the supportive environment, in such connotation an individual feel satisfied for what is done and value their work. However, when an individual in under pressure, apathetic, overpowered with the feeling of control, is triggered by the negative form of motivation like external regulations. In a controlled environment, individuals only do what they are told to do and are under the feeling of dissatisfaction and feel engaged with their work (White, 1959).

There are two types of motivation, which is intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation, and these two types are under the discussion of psychology over the period of over decades. The basic difference between the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is that intrinsic motivation refers to performing things since an individual enjoys doing them and are intrinsically interesting, whereas the extrinsic motivation refers to performing things since they lead towards a separate outcome.

Discussion

Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is the most independent, self-determined, and self-directed form of motivation. It enclosed the activities performed by individuals solely for the joy and contentment gained from their performance. It can also be defined that individuals who are intrinsically motivated opt to employ in activities merely for the satisfaction, enjoyment, pleasure, interest, and fulfillment they gain from performing such activities. For example, a child who plays with building blocks for hours in a day, being completely engrossed in the construction process of houses or towers, are considered to be intrinsically engrossed in the activity. It is not done by the child to gain out something from the activity, but it is only done out of pleasure that a child gains from the performing the activity (deCharms, 1968).

In individuals, intrinsic motivation is an influential and significant, rather than just being a form of motivation or a form of volitional activity. Humans from the time of birth are dynamic, active, curious, light-hearted, and intrusive, they pose willingness to learn, explore, and be experimental and for this they do not require any superfluous incentives. Such tendency of natural motivation is an essential element in physical, social, and cognitive human development, thus acting on the intrinsic interest later develops into the skills and knowledge a person poses (Deci, 1971). The persistence, performance, and welfare of humans are based on the inclination of an individual towards the interest in innovation, applications of skills actively ...