Here at Life Skills Advocate, we spend a lot of time talking about goals and motivation. There’s a lot of misguided, mentalistic, and frankly–not at all helpful–information available to parents and educators about motivation, especially the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.
Have you ever wondered why some teens and young adults continue to achieve their goals, whether big or small while others seem to struggle?
What makes your neurodivergent teen get out of bed in the morning ready for the day on a weekend, but refuse to do the same during the week?
Do you wish you better understood the factors that support successfully changing behavior patterns?
In this comprehensive guide, we’re diving deep into the fascinating world of motivation, specifically focusing on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. To start, let’s define the concepts of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.
Click here to jump to the TL;DR summary.
Extrinsic Motivation: A Definition
At its core, extrinsic motivation refers to behaviors that are motivated by environmental and social variables. It’s sometimes referred to as ‘external motivation’ because something outside the individual maintains the behavior.
Some examples of extrinsic motivation:
- My son studies for his math exam to get a good grade.
- I respond to work emails within 30 minutes because my co-workers tell me how much the appreciate my work.
- I work 40 hours per week and receive a paycheck for hours work.
- My teen volunteers at the nursing home to get experience for her resume.
Not that extrinsic motivation includes both rewards/reinforcement and avoidance/punishment. Some extrinsic motivators are things we get in exchange for a behavior (e.g., a good grade, a paycheck, praise). Other environmental motivators are things we try to avoid or escape from.
Some examples of these types of extrinsic motivators:
- My teen has a stomach ache and asks to stay home every morning before a big exam.
- I respond to work emails within 30 minutes to avoid my boss’ nagging.
- My son studies for his math exam to avoid a failing grade.
Note in some of the examples above, we can both receive a reward and work to avoid an aversive by engaging in the same behavior.
Intrinsic Motivation: A Definition
On the opposite side, intrinsic motivation refers to behaviors that are motivated solely because of the value to the individual. We engage in these behaviors because we find them fun, enjoyable, purposeful, or because they stimulate our five senses in satisfying ways.
Some examples of intrinsic motivation:
- My son stopped taking lessons years ago, but still plays the piano every day after school.
- I go out to dinner with my friends on the weekends because it’s fun to do.
- My teen loves football, and spends hours watching games on Sunday.
- My favorite food is cinnamon rolls. I’ve baked dozens of recipes to find the one that tastes the best.
The important thing here is to know that even though intrinsic motivation ‘comes from within’ there can still be external, social variables that may mediate the reasons we engage in certain behaviors.
What You Need to Know About Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation
To truly grasp the power of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and how you can use it to help your child or student, let’s explore the two prominent theories of motivation and how they can be used to help your teen achieve goals.
Self Determination Theory (SDT)
Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is one theory of motivation developed by Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan in 2000. Since then SDT has published a large body of research, supporting the ideas that motivation exists on a spectrum, with intrinsic motivation at one end and extrinsic motivation on the other. Intrinsic motivation, according to SDT, is closely tied to personal interests and passions and is superior to help in changing behavior over systems of extrinsic motivation.
Other tenets supported by Self-Determination Theory:
- We have evolved as humans to seek growth, curiosity, and connectedness with others.
- Motivation can be influenced by our competence or skill level. We require a certain base knowledge or fluency in order to be intrinsically motivated.
- Humans desire autonomy, or control of their life, behavior and goals.
Self-Determination Theory focuses on high quality forms of motivation and engagement for activities, including enhanced performance, persistence, and creativity by fostering conditions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness to others.
Motivating Operations (MOs)
In contrast to Self-Determination Theory, behavior analysts distinguish between forms of motivation using the concepts of Motivating Operations (MOs). MO’s come in two forms, those that increase the value of something to us as an organism and those that decrease the value of something to us.
As a basic example, if I haven’t eaten for several hours, food becomes more valuable to me. This in turn, increases the likelihood I’ll take a trip to the refrigerator. In contrast, if I’ve just eaten a giant Thanksgiving dinner, this decreases the value of food and the odds of finding me in the kitchen anytime soon.
Other proponents of Motivating Operations:
- We can construct systems and routines that support motivation as it changes across the day.
- Helps to explain that motivation can change quickly and in response to many factors. What may be motivating to a student today, might not be as motivating tomorrow.
- Focuses on external or extrinsic rewards initially, then gradually moving to more intrinsic motivators over time.
Real World Applications
As you can see, both theories can do a lot to help parents, teachers, and individuals understand motivation and how we can balance both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to achieve goals. Now that we’ve covered the theoretical aspects, let’s explore how these concepts play out in the real world.
At School
For educators, understanding the principles of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, along with theories of motivation can help foster student engagement and better help neurodivergent learners in the classroom. Here are a few examples of how you might consider both in the classroom:
Extrinsic Motivation: Classroom privileges, positive feedback, and rewards have been around for years as tools and strategies to help motivate students academically. There’s no shortage of ideas shared in teacher forums for things like: free assignment coupons, schedules of screen time, movie or YouTube instruction days, working in groups vs. solo, and scheduling breaks during instructional time.
Intrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic motivation in the classroom requires teachers to get to know their students well and to imbed these preferences in learning. The Broadway musical Hamilton is a prime example of taking what otherwise would be a boring American history lesson and transforming with music, hip hop, and real-world people. And while we’re not expecting teachers to win Tony Awards, the idea of using music, games, performance, and group engagement rather than textbook instructions can be highly effective in the classroom.
As A Parent or Professional
As a parent or professional, it’s crucial to recognize that motivation is not one-size-fits-all. While you may find intrinsic motivation drives you, your child or colleague might respond better to extrinsic rewards or recognition. Tailor your approach accordingly, and communicate openly to understand their unique sources of motivation. One way to identify intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation is just to ask – what motivates you?
To have a discussion with your student, teen, or client about motivation, check out our free .pdf downloadable exercise “Rewarding Success” from The Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off). This exercise helps learners identify all the available rewards for completing a difficult task.
Additional Resources and Tools
We understand that diving into the complexities of motivation can be overwhelming. We learn more about extrinsic and intrinsic motivation as science and research continues to test strategies in the classroom and in the workplace.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of resources and tools to help you on your journey to better understand and stay up to date with the science of motivation:
Books:
- “Drive” by Daniel Pink
- “The Student Motivation Handbook” by Larry Ferlazzo
- “Get Out Of Your Own Way” by Mark Goulsten & Phillip Goldberg
Motivation Apps:
- Habitica – a free habit-building and productivity app that uses retro RPG elements to gamify your tasks and goals.
- Forest – a unique productivity app that uses virtual trees to inspire users to better manage their time and go phone-free
- Strides – help you set and track goals, collect data, and explore how different extrinsic and intrinsic motivators are shaping your behavior.
Coaching:
Sometimes, we need extra supports to help our teens learn to balance extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Perhaps you’d like some guidance in how to build in motivation tools into your work or school life. Consider seeking the guidance of a professional coach who can provide personalized insights into motivation and how to apply it in your life.
Summing it Up
In summary, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are two powerful forces that drive human behavior.
While they may seem like opposing concepts, they often coexist and can be harnessed to achieve your goals. Understanding the science and real-world applications of these motivations can help you navigate your personal and professional life more effectively.
As you go forward, remember that motivation is a dynamic process. What motivates you or your neurodivergent learner today might change in the future. That’s why continuing to monitor and evaluate motivation on a regular basis is so important to achieving goals and sustaining progress.
TL;DR – (Too Long, Didn’t Read)
Motivation is what drives us to achieve our goals.
There are two forms of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation relies on external rewards, while intrinsic motivation are things that we find personally rewarding or enjoyable.
Recent research shows that motivation exists on a spectrum, and theories like Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Motivating Operations (MO) help explain its nuances. Regardless of the theory, research supports several key ideas:
- Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are necessary for success.
- Motivation changes over time and should be evaluated often.
- Goal achievement often starts with extrinsic motivation and moves towards intrinsic.
When working with teens and neurodivergent individuals, tailor your approach to their unique motivation type. We’ve provided resources to help you explore this further and understand how to leverage motivation for success.
Further Reading
- Harvard University – Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning – Motivation and Metacognition
- Langthorne P, McGill P. A tutorial on the concept of the motivating operation and its importance to application. Behavior Analysis in Practice. 2009 Fall;2(2):22-31
- Ken Bain – What the Best College Students Do
- Self-DeterminationTheory.Org