Learning the Difference Between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is when you are driven by your internal desire to do something. Rather than focusing on the external reward or benefit you may get, you simply do something for the sake of doing it. In other words, the reward you get is being able to do the task itself. Most times people experience intrinsic motivation when they genuinely enjoy doing something. Here are a few examples of intrinsic motivation:

• Going on a run because you enjoy the outdoors
• Painting a picture because you love being creative
• Reading poetry because it inspires you
• Helping a fellow coworker because you enjoy their presence
• Showing up to work early because you prefer working in the morning

Extrinsic motivation is when your behaviors and actions are driven by external forces. You choose to do your tasks in order to seek an external reward or to avoid a negative outcome. Rather than doing an activity because you enjoy doing it, you hope to earn something or prevent something bad from happening. Here are a few examples of extrinsic motivation:

• Going on a run to prepare for your race
• Painting a picture for your art class assignment
• Reading poetry so you’re prepared for a class discussion
• Helping a fellow coworker to prove you deserve a promotion
• Showing up to work early to impress your manager

Intrinsic motivation comes from within while extrinsic motivation stems from external forces. Let’s discuss when it’s best to use each one:

Intrinsic motivation

Here are some examples of when you’d want to use intrinsic motivation:

• When you already enjoy an activity: There may be certain activities at work that you would gladly do. When your employer asks for someone to volunteer to do a task you enjoy, it’s a wise idea to say you’ll do it. This gives you more of a chance to do things you enjoy and shows that you’re a team player.
• When you are excited to learn about something: When it’s not forced upon you, learning can be genuinely enjoyable. For instance, if you are someone who’s always researching things without being asked to do so, it’s evident that you are intrinsically motivated. Gaining knowledge for the sake of learning more can be quite rewarding in itself.
• When learning a new skill is fun: Although learning a new skill can come with many external rewards, such as career growth and more job opportunities, it can also be quite fun. Instead of focusing on what you can get out of a skill, use intrinsic motivation to simply enjoy the learning process. As time goes on and you get better at this skill, you may start to find it even more enjoyable.

Extrinsic motivation

Here are some examples of when extrinsic motivation can be a better motivator:

• When you need to do something you dislike: If a task is simply unenjoyable to you, you may need to find external motivators to help you avoid procrastination. Telling yourself that you can order takeout if you finish this task may be the motivation you need to get those spreadsheets filled out.
• When a task is especially challenging: Sometimes getting started on something you’re unfamiliar with is the hardest part. By finding an external reward to help yourself overcome the challenging stages of a project, you may find intrinsic motivation creep in once you get good at what you’re doing. For example, when first training for a race, you may find the process to be difficult. Once you build up endurance, you may feel eager to go on a run and see nature.
• When you need to meet a tight deadline: Intrinsic motivation tends to be most prevalent when doing leisurely activities, though many people experience it when they find a job they love. When you are in a time crunch, your external motivator may need to be avoiding missing an important deadline and disappointing your employer.

Learn more: 4 Ways to Get Back to Work When You (Really) Don’t Want to

Although both types of motivation can be useful, it’s important to note that there is evidence that suggests that extrinsic motivation can actually deteriorate intrinsic motivation. This is called the overjustification effect. Too many rewards or consequences can lead to lower interest in an activity that you once enjoyed. You may remember this happening to you as a child when you wanted to be helpful around the house and found something like tidying up your room to be enjoyable. Then, once your parent noticed your efforts, they started paying you an allowance and it became less fun.

This isn’t to say extrinsic motivation is bad in every circumstance. If you find something enjoyable anyway, it’s unnecessary to find additional reasons to do the task. It can be as simple as wanting to do something for the sake of it. This is why employers need to be careful when creating reward systems. Most of the time, a little bit of positive feedback is all employees need to feel good about their work and stay productive. Of course, things like promotions and bonuses are useful in the right context.

The overjustification effect indicates that people in managerial roles need to use extrinsic rewards sparingly. When employees are constantly reminded to reach their quotas in order to receive a bonus or avoid demotion, this could lead to low employee morale. Instead, giving meaningful positive feedback and special rewards can go a lot further when it comes to motivation.