Intrinsic motivation comes from within and is driven by personal satisfaction, not external rewards or punishments. It leads to greater success in long-term goals than extrinsic motivation. Psychologists recommend encouraging intrinsic motivation in children by focusing on topics they find interesting and meaningful.
Intrinsic motivation is a concept described by psychologists as the motivation that comes from within a person to accomplish a task or goal. Intrinsically motivated people are unaffected by external rewards or punishments for their work, such as earning money to do a job or getting a low grade on a school assignment. Individuals with intrinsic motivation choose to perform tasks because of intrinsic pleasure or the sense of accomplishment that comes from a job well done. Countless studies have shown that children and adults who develop intrinsic motivation are much more likely to be successful on long-term projects and goals than those who are motivated by external factors.
Many aspects of society revolve around extrinsic motivation. School students, for example, are evaluated on the quality of their work, facing threats or punishments when they fail to do well and rewards when they do. Athletes usually receive trophies and the approval of the crowd when they perform well, and employees of a company can try to earn a bonus for completing their work. While external motivators may be effective in the short term, they usually lose significance over time.
It is common for an individual who wants to achieve a goal simply to get a reward or avoid punishment to put in less effort than a person who wants to be successful for the sake of internal satisfaction. An example of the different outcomes of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators can be seen in police officers. An extrinsically motivated police officer could do her job to earn a good salary and gain recognition from the community and individuals in the police force. An officer with intrinsic motivation, however, has a strong and sincere desire to help others and maintain a safe and healthy society. Not seeking rewards or recognition, the intrinsically motivated officer is likely to work harder and take on more responsibility than the individual who is motivated by outside influences.
Professional psychologists have spent thousands of hours of research determining the best ways to develop intrinsic motivation in individuals, especially children. They identified a number of ways to encourage young people to find personal meaning in their schoolwork and household chores. To reap the benefits of intrinsic motivation, individuals must focus their efforts on topics and goals that they find interesting. Tasks should be fully understood in terms of cause and effect, real-life usefulness, and feasibility. People who are able to realize their potential and work toward internally meaningful goals are usually able to enjoy long-term success and satisfaction.
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