Definition: Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation is a reason or set or reasons for engaging in a particular behavior, especially human behavior as studied in psychology and neuropsychology. The reasons may include basic needs (e.g., food, water, shelter) or an object, goal, state of being, or ideal that is desirable, which may or may not be viewed as "positive," such as seeking a state of being in which pain is absent. The motivation for a behavior may also be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism or morality.nnAccording to Geen (1995), motivation refers to the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of human behavior.nnMotivational ConceptsnnReward and ReinforcementnnA reward is that which follows an occurrence of a specific behavior with the intention of acknowledging the behavior in a positive way. A reward often has the intent of encouraging the behavior to happen again.nnThere are two kinds of rewards, extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic rewards are external to, or outside of, the individual; for example, praise or money. Intrinsic rewards are internal to, or within, the individual; for example, satisfaction or accomplishment.nnSome authors distinguish between two forms of intrinsic motivation: one based on enjoyment, the other on obligation. In this context, obligation refers to motivation based on what an individual thinks ought to be done. For instance, a feeling of responsibility for a mission may lead to helping others beyond what is easily observable, rewarded, or fun.nnA reinforcer is different from reward, in that reinforcement is intended to create a measured increase in the rate of a desirable behavior following the addition of something to the environment.nnIntrinsic and Extrinsic MotivationnnIntrinsic motivation is evident when people engage in an activity for its own sake, without some obvious external incentive present. A hobby is a typical example.nnIntrinsic motivation has been intensely studied by educational psychologists since the 1970s, and numerous studies have found it to be associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students.nnThere is currently no "grand unified theory" to explain the origin or elements of intrinsic motivation. Most explanations combine elements of Bernard Weiner's attribution theory, Bandura's work on self-efficacy and other studies relating to locus of control and goal orientation. Thus it is thought that students are more likely to experience intrinsic motivation if they:nn• Attribute their educational results to internal factors that they can control (eg. the amount of effort they put in, not 'fixed ability'). n• Believe they can be effective agents in reaching desired goals (eg. the results are not determined by dumb luck.) n• Are motivated towards deep 'mastery' of a topic, instead of just rote-learning 'performance' to get good grades. nNote that the idea of reward for achievement is absent from this model of intrinsic motivation, since rewards are an extrinsic factor.nnIn knowledge-sharing communities and organizations, people often cite altruistic reasons for their participation, including contributing to a common good, a moral obligation to the group, mentorship or 'giving back'. This model of intrinsic motivation has emerged from three decades of research by hundreds of educationalists and is still evolving. (See also Goal Theory.)nnIn work environments, money is typically viewed as an important goal (having food, clothes etc.) may well be more powerful than the direct motivation provided by an enjoyable workplace.nnWikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia Contributors (Disclaimer)nThis article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.