Changing
Minds
.org

How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

 

Disciplines

 

Techniques

 

Principles

 

Explanations

 

Theories

 

 

Home

 

Blog!

 

Quotes

 

Guest articles

 

Analysis

 

Books

 

Guestbook

 

Links

 

 

Now, you can buy
the real book!

Add/share/save
this page:

Add to Google

 

 

 

 

Extrinsic Motivation

 

Explanations > Theories > Extrinsic Motivation

Description | Example | So What? | See also | References 

 

Description

Extrinsic motivation is when I am motivated by external factors, as opposed to the internal drivers of intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation drives me to do things for tangible rewards or pressures, rather than for the fun of it.

Example

Supermarkets use loyalty cards and discounts, airlines use air miles, companies use bonuses and commissions. Extrinsic motivation is everywhere.

So what?

Using it

You can offer positive motivations such as rewards and other bribery or you can use negative motivation such as threats and blackmail. Either way, extrinsic motivation is crude, easy and often effective. However it focuses people on the reward and not the action. Stop giving the reward and they’ll stop the behavior. This can, in fact, be useful when you want them to stop doing something: first give them extrinsic rewards for doing the unwanted behavior, then remove the reward.

See also

Intrinsic motivation, Overjustification Effect

References

Deci (1971), Petri (1991)

|awa|gs|

 

Contact Caveat About Students Webmasters Awards Guestbook Feedback Sitemap Changes

 

 

  © Syque 2002-2009

TOP

Massive Content -- Maximum Speed