Intrinsic Motivation

1. Intrinsic Motivation • There is only one way... to get anybody to do anything. And that is by making the other person want to do it.Dale Carnegie

2. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation • Intrinsic = pursuing a goal or task because the goal itself is rewarding • e.g. “What is you passion in life?” • Self-regulatory • Highly individualized

3. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation • Extrinsic = motivation based on something external to the activity • e.g. “What salary range are you looking for?”

4. Approaches to Intrinsic Motivation • Behaviors can occur in the absence of an external reward • Challenge to operant conditioning, drive theory • Consistent with latent learning, achievement motivation

5. Approaches to Intrinsic Motivation • Behaviors a person undertakes out of interest • Optimally challenging activities • Fulfilling one’s potential

6. Why are goals unique? • Not driven by a biological desire or drive, as stated by • Drive Theory • Sociobiology • Psychoanalysis

7. Why are goals unique? • Not driven by an external reward or punishment, as stated by • Behaviorism • Social Learning Theory • Achievement Motivation Theory

8. Why are goals unique? • Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.Dwight D. Eisenhower 1890-1969, Thirty-fourth President of the USA

9. Task elements that enhance intrinsic motivation • Challenge • A task that optimally challenges you at your level of cognitive processing • If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all. --Michelangelo Buonarroti • Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity. --Paul Goodman • Never ask more or less of yourself then your best. -- Proverb

10. Task elements that enhance intrinsic motivation • Control • A task in which you have control over the outcome • If your ship hasn’t come in , swim out to it! --Anonymous • If there is no wind, row. --Latin proverb • They can do all because they think they can. --Virgil

11. Task elements that enhance intrinsic motivation • Curiosity • A task in which you are interested in learning more • First you fuel the desire, then the desire will fuel you. -- Amer Khan • Figuring out who you are is the whole point of human existence. --Anna Qunidlen • One of the strongest characteristics of genius is the power of lighting its own fire. --John W. Foster

12. Task elements that enhance intrinsic motivation • Fantasy • A task that involves creativity and role-playing • You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. –Mark Twain • During [these] periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights which give so much joy and delight. --Fritjof Capra, physicist • Visualization, that seeing of that which is not yet, is essential for the attainment of good that you aspire to. --Tehilla Lichtenstein

13. Goal Theory Distinctions • Performance goals: demonstrating an ability • Produce evaluative pressures and anxiety • Generally low in intrinsic motivation

14. Goal Theory Distinctions • Mastery Goals = Development of an ability (aka. Learning goals) • Encourages task absorption • Supports feelings of autonomy

15. Goal and activity associations • Goal: Abstract form of motivation • Activity: Physical manifestation of goal • Example: Associate running (activity) with getting in shape (goal)

16. Goal and activity associations • Must decrease the activity’s association with other goals (e.g. impressing your friends, looking good)

17. Goal and activity associations • Must also decrease the goal’s association with other activities (e.g. jumping rope)

18. Advantages of enhancing motivation toward an activity • Enhances commitment and enjoyment • Renders the activity less vulnerable to association with extrinsic goals • Less likely to undergo undermining effect

19. Advantages of enhancing motivation toward an activity • This “redefinition” is strongest when the activity can be linked to a strong, intrinsic goal

20. Undermining Effect • Definition = Decreased intrinsic motivation for an interesting activity following a reward • Also known as the “overcompensation effect”

21. Undermining Effect • Remember this study?

22. Undermining Effect • Process • Extrinsic reward seen as controlling behavior more than personal choice • Only works when the activity is initially interesting or rewarding

23. Cognitive Evaluation Theory • Deci and Ryan (1985) • “Events that negatively affect autonomy diminish intrinsic motivation, whereas events that support autonomy enhance intrinsic motivation” • “A behavior that is perceived to have an external locus of causality can no longer have intrinsic value”

24. Cognitive Evaluation Theory • Deci and Ryan (1985) • Why do rewards work? • They work when they’re not perceived as motivators

25. Motivation Trend in U.S.

26. Henderlog and Lepper (1997) • Question: Why do we find a negative motivational trend from elementary school to middle school • Is intrinsic motivation the opposite of extrinsic motivation? No, both can coexist

27. Henderlog and Lepper (1997)

28. Henderlog and Lepper (1997) • Intrinsic motivation is NOT due to the undermining effect • Education seen as less “applicable” to the self • Solution: Specialized, self-regulated learning programs

29. Cordova and Lepper (1996) • Linking learning and motivation • Educational computer program • Personal choice - Pick a role-playing game • No choice – Role playing game assigned to them • Control - Solve math problems in numeric form • Manipulated personalization of role playing game

30. Cordova and Lepper (1996) • Children in choice condition spent more time playing the game during free period • Motivation even higher when game was personalized

31. Perceived Competence

32. Willingness to Stay After Class

33. Desired Difficulty Level for Future Game

34. Guay et al (2001) • Autonomy support from a young age directs children toward an intrinsic orientation • Immunizes them from negative effects of controlling strategies

35. Guay et al (2001) • Why? Reliance on external evaluation instead of self-regulated effort leads to short-lived motivation

36. Model Autonomy Support Intrinsic Motivation Perceived Competence

37. Mueller and Dweck (1998) • When effort is praised, mastery goals more likely to be chosen • When intelligence is praised, performance goals more likely to be chosen

38. Mueller and Dweck (1998) • Manipulated whether intelligence or effort were praised (or no praise control group) • Asked them what type of task they wanted to do next, and why

39. Task choices • Avoidance-oriented performance goal (e.g. “I want problems that aren’t too hard, so I don’t get many wrong”) • Approach-oriented performance goals (e.g. “I want problems I’m good at so that I can show I’m smart”) • Learning goals (“I want problems that I’ll learn a lot from, even if I won’t look smart”)

40. Proportion who chose performance goal

41. Proportion who chose performance folder

42. Proportion who misrepresented their scores to another child

43. Agreement with fixed intelligence

44. Implications for Schools • Increase personalization and autonomy support in lesson plans

45. Implications for Schools • Praise students for effort, not for intelligence • Grades for effort instead of intelligence?

46. Implications for Schools • Teach self-regulation in addition to other subjects

47. Implications for Other Domains • Coaching a team • How would you promote mastery over performance? • Managing a business • How would you increase production rates?

48. Implications for Other Domains • Raising children • How would you get your child to be responsible? • Challenging social policy • How would you encourage others to fight for your cause? • Getting people to donate time/money • How would you convince others that they can make a difference?