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 to earn a wage. Extrinsic motivation is involved in operant conditioning, which is when someone or something is conditioned to behave a certain way due to a reward or consequence.
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 a good grade is external reinforcement. If, on the other hand, you are interested in learning more about human behavior, then you are intrinsically motivated. Your curiosity and desire to learn is the driving force of your motivation. Here are some other examples of extrinsic motivation:
Competing for a trophy or prize, such as in a sporting eventDoing schoolwork to earn a good gradeWorking hard at a task or project to receive praise and recognitionShopping with a store loyalty card to gain points, discounts, and prizesDoing homework to earn a reward such as a special treat or toyPerforming tasks at work that you dislike in order to keep getting a steady paycheckUsing a particular credit card in order to receive airline miles
Impact of Extrinsic Motivation
This type of motivation can be highly effective. Just think of all of the examples in your own life of things that you do in order to gain some type of external reward. Extrinsic motivation is not a bad thing. External rewards can be a useful and effective tool for getting people to stay 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:
When people have little interest in the activityWhen people lack the skills to get startedWhen a short-term motivator for a specific purpose is neededWhen people are working on a long-term project and need small incentives to keep them going
In these situations, the rewards should be kept small and should be 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 for performing 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 a decrease in motivation. The tendency of extrinsic motivation to interfere with intrinsic motivation is known as the overjustification effect. This involves a decrease in intrinsically motivated behaviors after the behavior is extrinsically rewarded and the reinforcement is subsequently discontinued. 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 the reinforcement in their behavior. When the children were later offered the chance to play with the pens during play time, 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. 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. However, more research is needed on this topic to determine exactly how and when external rewards may undermine intrinsic motivation. A 2014 review from Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences examined research on motivation for learning and suggested that extrinsic rewards can actually be mostly effective and not harmful.
A Word From Verywell
Extrinsic motivation can exert a powerful influence on human behavior, but it has its limits. You might find it helpful to consider whether you are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated in 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. It depends on the person and situation whether external rewards will be beneficial in the long run.
