Definition Essay: What Is Intrinsic Motivation?

I want you to close your eyes and picture a goal you have. Not just any, but one you are willing to do anything for in order to accomplish it. I want you to start thinking of what makes you want to attain success. What is that primary driving force that makes you want to achieve it? Ultimately it all comes down to motivation. Ever since I was five, I have imagined myself traveling and exploring the places this world has to offer. My imagination spurred higher than reality could possibly grasp. Years after, my family and I arrived in the United States. That change in comfort and location skewed my perception on the the world. It was no longer limited, but vast and filled with diversity. I perceive myself as someone who carries the courage of

Taking an hour or so each day to draw or clean or do something enjoyable, essentially considering it as a hobby, is intrinsic motivation.Based on Judy Cameron of her study on intrinsic motivation at the University of Alberta “intrinsic motivation energizes and sustains activities through the spontaneous satisfactions inherent in effective volitional action. It is manifest in behaviors such as play, exploration, and challenge seeking that people often do for external rewards”. It is when someone engages in an activity because they find it interesting or enjoyable. When born and throughout early puberty, children carry this intrinsic motivation as they explore their environment and take part in recognizing their abilities. Still, that becomes coupled with outside motivators such as the parental boost, influence of friends and changes in environment. Sometimes, this balance of growing is slowed down by difficult tasks and annoying situations all being part of extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation occurs when separable outcomes are present such as gaining a reward or avoiding punishment. Think of it as a force of an action from a higher authority, coupled with the unwillingness to do it. A love for cooking,aka a hobby, turns into a business. Eventually, this love and passion is turned into a required task, therefore making it less satisfying. Intrinsic is more beneficial for the long run. A study conducted in 2009 by sociologists

And finally, is it worth it? Being intrinsically motivated will give better results than being extrinsically motivated. So how do intrinsically motivated individuals differ? They engage in tasks that are enjoyable rather than mundane. Type of goals they would set for themselves include: self acceptance, community feeling, affiliation, physical fitness, rather than praise, financial success, or popularity. If a person wants to adopt an intrinsic mindset they have to engage in tasks that are pleasurable. It is necessary to set minor reasonable goals that are enjoyable. For example, a person wants to become fit but feels overwhelmed and tired by running, then an option is to start out by jogging for a 10 minutes the 1st week,