Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionExamplesImpactHow to Use ItPotential Pitfalls
Table of ContentsView All
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Table of Contents
Definition
Examples
Impact
How to Use It
Potential Pitfalls
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Verywell / Joshua Seong
What Are The Rewards That Motivate You?
People who are extrinsically motivated will continue to perform a task even though it might not be in and of itself rewarding. For example, they will do something at their job that they don’t find enjoyable in order toearn a wage.
Extrinsic motivation can be understood through the lens ofoperant conditioning, which is when someone or something is conditioned to behave a certain way due to a reward or consequence.
1:17Is It Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation?
1:17
Is It Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation?
Examples of Extrinsic Motivation
Think about your motivation for reading this article. Are you trying to learn the material so that you can do well in your psychology class? If so, this is extrinsic motivation because agood gradeis an external reinforcement.
If, on the other hand, you are interested in learning more about human behavior, then you are intrinsically motivated. Yourcuriosityanddesire to learnare the driving forces of your motivation.
Here are some other examples of extrinsic motivation:
Sometimes, the external reward may beavoiding punishmentor a negative outcome. For example, someone may engage in a behavior to avoid being shamed, judged, or assessed a fine.
Impact of Extrinsic Motivation
This type of motivation can be highly effective. Just think of all the examples in your life of things you do to gain some kind of external reward.
Extrinsic motivation is not a bad thing. External rewards can be a useful and effective tool for helping children learn new skills (or be on their best behavior) and for keeping people motivated and on task. This can be particularly important when people need to complete something that they find difficult or uninteresting, such as a boring homework assignment or a tedious work-related project.
How to Use Extrinsic Motivation
It’s important to look at the specific situation to determine if extrinsic rewards might help motivate behavior. Below are some example scenarios when extrinsic rewards may be most effective:
In these situations, the rewards should be kept small and tied directly to performing a specific behavior.
Once some intrinsic interest has been generated and some essential skills have been established, the external motivators should be slowly phased out.
In the Workplace, Parenting, and Education
Extrinsic motivation can play a role across many areas of life. For example, your boss might hold an ad design competition in which the winner earns a prize. Parents might offer their children special treats or outings to complete all their chores for the week. In education, the Dean’s List recognizes students who attain high grades.
In all of these situations, some external factor serves as a force that drives positive behavior. With careful application, extrinsic motivation can result in intrinsic motivation—in which a person performs a task well simply because they enjoy it, find it fulfilling, or feel a sense of pride.
Potential Pitfalls of Extrinsic Motivation
While offering rewards can increase motivation in some cases, researchers have also found that this is not always the case. In fact, offering excessive rewards can actually lead to adecreasein motivation.
The tendency of extrinsic motivation to interfere with intrinsic motivation is known as theoverjustification effect. For example, if someone isalreadyintrinsically motivated to read books, and then you provide an external reward for reading, you might notice a decrease in the joy they once experienced in grabbing a good book on their own accord after the action has been extrinsically rewarded.
When the children were later offered the chance to play with the pens during playtime, the children who had been rewarded for using them previously showed little interest in playing with the pens again. The kids who had not been rewarded, however, continued to play with the pens.
Why would rewarding an already intrinsically rewarding behavior lead to this sudden disinterest? One reason is that people tend to analyze their own motivations for engaging in an activity. Once they have been externally rewarded for performing an action, they assign too much importance to the role of thereinforcementin their behavior.
Another possible reason is that activities that initially feel like play or fun can be transformed into work or obligations when tied to an external reward. Extrinsic rewards can be an important tool in motivating behavior, but experts warn that they should be used with caution, especially with children.
A 2014 review fromProcedia - Social and Behavioral Sciencesexamined research on motivation for learning and suggested that extrinsic rewards can actually be mostly effective and not harmful.
However, more research is needed on this topic to determine exactly how and when external rewards may undermine intrinsic motivation.
Final Thoughts
Extrinsic motivation can exert a powerful influence on human behavior, but it has its limits. You might find it helpful to consider whether you areintrinsically or extrinsically motivatedin certain situations.
Are you looking forward to your workout because you have a bet with a friend about who can lose the most weight? Then, you are extrinsically motivated. If you are eager to work out because you find exercise fun and satisfying, then you are intrinsically motivated.
Extrinsic motivation has pros and cons. Whether external rewards will be beneficial in the long run depends on the person and situation.
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Operant conditioning.APA Dictionary of Psychology.Tranquillo J, Stecker M.Using intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in continuing professional education.Surg Neurol Int. 2016;7(Suppl 7):S197-S199. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.179231Lepper MR, Greene D, Nisbett RE.Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the “overjustification” hypothesis.J Pers Soc Psychol.1973;28(1):129-137. doi:10.1037/h0035519Additional ReadingLepper MR, Greene D.The Hidden Costs of Reward: New Perspectives on the Psychology of Human Motivation.Psychology Press; 2015. doi:10.4324/9781315666983
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Operant conditioning.APA Dictionary of Psychology.Tranquillo J, Stecker M.Using intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in continuing professional education.Surg Neurol Int. 2016;7(Suppl 7):S197-S199. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.179231Lepper MR, Greene D, Nisbett RE.Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the “overjustification” hypothesis.J Pers Soc Psychol.1973;28(1):129-137. doi:10.1037/h0035519Additional ReadingLepper MR, Greene D.The Hidden Costs of Reward: New Perspectives on the Psychology of Human Motivation.Psychology Press; 2015. doi:10.4324/9781315666983
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Psychological Association.Operant conditioning.APA Dictionary of Psychology.Tranquillo J, Stecker M.Using intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in continuing professional education.Surg Neurol Int. 2016;7(Suppl 7):S197-S199. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.179231Lepper MR, Greene D, Nisbett RE.Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the “overjustification” hypothesis.J Pers Soc Psychol.1973;28(1):129-137. doi:10.1037/h0035519
American Psychological Association.Operant conditioning.APA Dictionary of Psychology.
Tranquillo J, Stecker M.Using intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in continuing professional education.Surg Neurol Int. 2016;7(Suppl 7):S197-S199. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.179231
Lepper MR, Greene D, Nisbett RE.Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the “overjustification” hypothesis.J Pers Soc Psychol.1973;28(1):129-137. doi:10.1037/h0035519
Lepper MR, Greene D.The Hidden Costs of Reward: New Perspectives on the Psychology of Human Motivation.Psychology Press; 2015. doi:10.4324/9781315666983
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