Ch 5-Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation

Summarize the chapter.
Chapter five describes intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation in people. Intrinsic motivation is described as being highly powerful and influential to people because actions are out of interest and psychological needs. The authors go into much greater detail for extrinsic motivation. Ideas of reinforcement, external reward, and punishment are a couple of driving forces that externally motivate people. These two are powerful forces as well, but they just come from different sources.

What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned?
One of the most surprising things I learned was the fact that researchers classify negative reinforcers and punishers as extrinsic motivation. Normally when I think of extrinsic motivation, I think of positive elements. I think of acquiring money, awards, and other material possessions. Punishment isn’t a common term used with motivation, but it is definitely an external motivation. Punishment is actually often used to control behavior too. Policemen use traffic tickets to keep people from speeding; parents use time-out to keep their little children from disobeying them; friends use social ostracism from keeping their friends from doing anything too socially unacceptable.

Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid?
Yes, it is definitely possible to be intrinsically motivated and paid. Despite having an extrinsic motivator, you can still have intrinsic motivation. In fact, this is the goal of most people when choosing a career. It’s best to go into a career that you enjoy and are interested in because this intrinsic motivation will help your productivity, your entertainment, and persistence on a job. It doesn’t hurt to be paid on top of that too.

What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
I will have a great opportunity for intrinsic and extrinsic motivation this summer. I am studying abroad in Taiwan as a part of a research project in the Psychology Department. I’ve never been out of the country before, so I highly anticipate going to a new country. I am intrinsically motivated to do the research project because I anticipate a good experience. This might be what I’m going to do for a career, so I am excited to learn about research on subjects. There’s extrinsic motivation in this experience, too. Studying abroad will allow me to have better credentials for a résumé. I have the opportunity to make new friends from different countries and gain new experience in the field of psychology. This opportunity will definitely be an experience of internal and external motivation.

How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success?
Actually, in the past, I have learned from experience how powerful intrinsic motivation is to me. I have changed my major multiple times because I wasn’t very intrinsically motivated to go through various majors such as Biology, Religious Studies, and Mathematics. I finally found a major that has a greater degree of intrinsic motivation for me, psychology. Although not every class is intrinsically motivating for me, this major has an overall greater interest level for me. This may greatly affect my career options in the future.

Tags: intrinsic motivation; extrinsic motivation; reinforcement; external reward; punishment; persistence;

This chapter is all about how external events produce motivational situations. Our motivations all stem from wanting to take action towards rewards/pleasure and away from punishment/pain. Extrinsic motivations come from external events such as money, grades, reviews, time outs, praise, threats, etc. On the other hand intrinsic motivations come from within one’s self. This could be simply enjoying an action for fulfilling psychological needs, it may be fun, or an action could make a person just feel bad about them self. Extrinsic motivation is driven achieving or avoiding external, while intrinsic motivation is driven by something a person would do “just for the fun of it.” An incentive is an environmental event that attracts or repels, a consequence is follows a behavior, and a reinforcer is an extrinsic event that increases behavior.

What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned?
I found most interesting that giving external rewards to someone who was engaging in a behavior due to intrinsic motivation would decrease that person’s intrinsic motivation, but unexpected rewards do not.
It makes sense when it is explained. It takes the behavior from something you enjoy, to something you have to do and losing autonomy ruins the motivation. This is interesting, because you wouldn’t think something such as money, that may influence someone in a different situation, would actually decrease motivation for something they once enjoyed. But with and unexpected reward you are still participating in a behavior solely from intrinsic motives, so you don’t lose that motivation once you receive the unexpected reward.

Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid?

Yes, as long as the pay itself isn’t the motivation. For example when I am at work I get paid the same whether I am being really productive or just doing the bare minimum. Now I wouldn’t have been at work without the pay, so getting to work and doing anything there is an extrinsic motivation. However I feel good about myself when I produce a good report, really fast, and then get more done than what my boss expected. I feel the need for his praise and feel competent in my work. I was paid to work, but the praise from my boss and good feelings about myself are the intrinsic motives that lead me to action beyond the extrinsic motives. However, if I was doing something for fun first and then started to get paid for it, my intrinsic motivation would start to fade. It would take away the autonomy I felt while engaging in the action. If I started to get paid for my extra efforts, then the effort would then be expected and I would lose that praise I was once motivated for.

What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
Extrinsically I am motivated by money. I donate my plasma at Bio Life twice a week. It is annoying, cold, and a little painful at times, but I continue to go back because I get paid 50 dollars a week to do so. My body does not like it because I have trouble keeping my protein levels up and I do not enjoy being there but yet I continue to go back.
Intrinsically I am motivated by praise and having fun. Like I said before I try to go above and beyond at work because it makes me feel good to know my boss is proud to be my boss. I will not even be working at John Deere when I graduate in May, and I still cannot bring myself to try less, because I do not want to disappoint my boss.
I am also intrinsically motivated by relatedness when it comes to partying/drinking. I do not like the taste of alcohol, staying up so late that I sleep till noon, nor do I like hangovers. However I still continue to drink on weekends, so that I can hang out with my friends. If I don’t go out with them on the weekends then I never see them and I hate feeling like I don’t have friends other than my boyfriend. It’s a lonely feeling that I do not like more so than not liking drinking.

How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success?
I will try not to focus so hard on the extrinsic reward that I forget to put focus on the actual reason I am at school. If I am in a class and am so focused on the grade, I will likely miss out on the chance to actually learn. This has happened many times for me in college. The less time I spent on school work, the more time I could be making money at work. So, this caused me to do the bare minimum to get an A in the class and turn my focus to my grade and not my education.

Summarize the chapter:
The main premise of chapter 5 deals with the dissection of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Both have been readily apparent for hundreds of years, but common themes have been developed over the years through tests and experiments on groups of individuals. People either act in ways to engage in an activity or avoid it based on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation deals with environmental products such as incentives, consequences, and rewards while intrinsic deals with competence, relatedness, and autonomy. Intrinsic motivation has been deemed to lead to greater conceptual learning, increased psychological performance, and better overall lives. However, extrinsic motivation can be positive if it isn't expected and doesn't include tangible items. Instead it should confirm competence in the individual's performance.

Most interesting thing I learned:
The most interesting aspect of this chapter I found were the hidden costs of rewards. Because of the way we have been socially conditioned, extrinsic (tangible and expected) rewards seem to motivate us in the highest regard. When you dig deeper into the situation and drive to obtain that reward or praise, the outlook is much more bleak. An activity that is inherently interesting to us at first with an extrinsic reward attached to it causes people to lose motivation over time. Extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic motivation, interfere with the process of learning focusing on facts rather than conceptual understanding, interfere with the person's development of autonomous self-regulation, and become reward-dependent.

Intrinsically motivated and paid?
I believe the answer is yes. As an individual grows up with a passion for something, they may pursue it as a degree and potentially a career. For example, someone who loves art has been drawing or painting their entire life and chooses it as a career. If they reach a point of integrated regulation at any point in their upbringing or career, they are doing it because it reflects their values and who they are. Monetary reward is a positive side effect of their value-driven art career.

Examples in my life:
Intrinsic - 1. I love to read books about relationship building and how to more effectively interact with people.
2. When I go home for a weekend I help my dad with projects around the house because he has done so much for me over the years.
3. I exercise on a regular basis because I know I will be healthier now and in the future.

Extrinsic - 1. I am getting a degree at college so that I will make more money in my career.
2. I work out more and harder before spring break to look my best.
3. I compete in sales competitions to win money and gain notoriety.

How will this change my outlook?
I will definitely put my career objectives and tasks in perspective more gaining this knowledge about the different types of motivation. In order to be more successful, I think it is crucial to seek out intrinsic motivation in my daily tasks. I think if I could become intrinsically motivated to help, consult and find solutions for businesses regarding their employee benefit programs (working for an insurance company in their employee benefits division), I will be much more happy and successful than just focusing on making more money.

Tags: extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, incentives, consequences, and rewards, competence, relatedness, and autonomy, expected, tangible items, hidden costs of rewards, autonomous self-regulation, integrated regulation

Chapter 5 discusses the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of decision making. Analysis of motivational behavior will be introduced. Environmental consequences and incentives push us to whether we want to do something or not. Humans tend to engage in actions that will avoid punishment and bring reward. We like to remain in our hedonistic tendencies—that is, we avoid pain and approach pleasure. Extrinsic motivation is the external events that provide incentives and/or consequences to supply an individual with motivation. With extrinsic motivation, an action is initiated or persistent because of an environmentally created reason, such as a trophy, praise, money, etc. Operant conditioning is where a person learns to operate effectively in the environment. Extrinsic motivation revolves around operant conditioning to produce attractive consequences. Therefore, the situational cue (incentive)(S) sets the occasion but does not cause the behavioral response (R), but the behavioral response causes the consequence (C) (S: R  C). Reinforcers or punishers of these may be positive—meaning something is given—or negative—meaning something is taken away. Intrinsic motivation is internal drive that pushes us to action. Intrinsic motivated people behave out of interest and for the sense of challenge the activity provides, which satisfies psychological needs. These psychological needs include autonomy, competence, and relatedness from the environment and one’s relationships. Intrinsic motivation is a natural motivation that emerges spontaneously and the more intrinsic motivation an individual has, the more persistent he/she is. It also determines creativity, conceptual understanding/high-quality learning, and optimal functioning and well-being. Cognitive evaluation theory hypothesizes that all external events have a controlling aspect which affects the person’s need for autonomy, and an informational aspect which affects the person’s need for competence. Self-determination theory breaks down intrinsic and extrinsic motivation into a continuum. External regulation is the least-self-determined type of motivation and it fulfills a demand. Introjected regulation has some self-determination, but it is mostly from outside source commands. Identified regulation is mostly internalized extrinsic motivations as it is personally important and their own thoughts/behaviors. Integration regulation is the most self-determined. Its self-examination brings new ways in with the old ways to intermix behaviors and thoughts. Others are often motivated when offered rewards. For uninteresting activities, rewards turn something not worth doing into something worth doing.

The most interesting thing I learned was the types of extrinsic motivations. I didn’t realize how categorized motivation can be and where it may come from. They also described why a person may do the act although there is not much intrinsic motivation. Learning about how intrinsic motivation helped me apply it to why I enjoy composing songs and playing them when I’m alone yet the extrinsic motivation brings me to want to perform them in front of a crowd.

It is possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid. A reason why people go to school is so they can find a good-paying job in a career that they enjoy. For example, I want to be a mental health counselor. Sure it is a benefit to be paid for it, but I am intrinsically motivated to help others and to give advice. By improving other people’s lives I feel accomplished by the challenge life presents every day.

I am intrinsically motivated to compose songs because it gets my feelings out yet I feel accomplished that I created something original. I am also intrinsically motivated to wear my rings…not because others can see them, but for myself so that I can look down and know their meaning/see their beauty. I am extrinsically motivated to attend class so that I can do well with my grades and be highly competitive for the job I want. Then I will be happy with what I am doing for a living meanwhile having a decent salary.

Information from this chapter will change how I think about motivating myself for school/career success because I will, for example, understand why I dislike missing class. Although missing class does not have a punishment, it does lead to worse grades and the possibility of not graduating and getting the job I want. It isn’t missing the class itself, but the consequences down the road that motivate me to attend class.

Terms: motivation; extrinsic motivation; intrinsic motivation; psychological needs; autonomy; competence; relatedness; reinforcer; punisher; cognitive evaluation theory; self-determination theory; external regulation; introjected regulation; identified regulation; integration regulation

Summarize:
This chapter introduced intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the inherent propensity to engage one’s interests and to exercise one’s capacities and, in doing so, to seek out and master optimal challenges. It emerges spontaneously from psychological needs and innate strivings for growth. Extrinsic motivation arises from environmental incentives and consequences, such as food, money, praise, awards,etc. Extrinsic motivation revolves around three central concepts of incentives, consequences, and rewards. The term cognitive evaluation theory provides a way for predicting the effects that any extrinsic event will have on motivation. Self-determination theory was also introduced, which expands the distinction between intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation into a continuum of types of motivation. Four types of extrinsic motivation are: introjected, identified, integration, and external regulation.
Most interesting thing learned:
I found it interesting that research shows that punishment is an ineffective motivational strategy. Punishment generates a number of worrisome and unintentional “side effects,” like negative emotion. This technique is so popular on this side of the world, new parents should know that it doesn’t work!
Possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid?
I believe it is possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid. I work as a bartender/waitress and if I don’t bring my A game, I won’t be getting paid as much. I also enjoy what I do most of the time, so I am still having fun while getting paid.
Examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
My job! Most of the time I love what I do, but there are times when I hate it! If I wasn’t getting paid great then I wouldn’t put up with drunk idiots! An example of how I am intrinsically motivated is working out. I enjoy going to the gym because I feel great afterwards and obviously it helps with my body image.
How will info. from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself school/career success?
I’m going to look at homework differently. Instead of whining about how boring assignments are, I’m going to convince myself that I enjoy what I’m studying/reading. I want to be successful for the right reasons, not just by memorizing everything the day before my test and forgetting it immediately after.
Intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. Cognitive evaluation theory. Self-determination theory.

Motivation comes from multitudes of sources; basic, social and psychological needs, balanced with incentives and rewards from within oneself and also from the environment. When a person is rewarded for a behavior with a physical reward or status, that is an extrinsic reward or incentive. An intrinsic incentive motivates oneself from the inside by gaining autonomy, competences or relatedness support from oneself and relationships. Intrinsically motivated people tend to be more happy and successful in the long-term because the motivation does not need the extrinsic reward. If one performs the behavior for themselves, then the behavior is more likely to continually be performed. Likewise, if one is continually punished or rewarded, one can be conditioned to enjoy or avoid the behavior but once the stimuli have ceased, so can the behavior.

The most interesting thing I learned was that in order for extrinsic reinforcers to be the most effective, they needed to immediately be distributed when the person performing the behavior had no intrinsic motivation. This explained why extrinsic behaviors are short-term related. If a person has no motivation to do perform the action then wait, than of course when the incentives disappear they would no longer continue the behavior. The example with the 8 year old and their orthodontic wear was a good example to demonstrate this idea.

I think the idea of having the freedom to choose your major allows you to have the option to be intrinsically motivated to hold a career which you truly want to have. If doing something you truly enjoy doing brings you an income, it makes it even better. But the goal is that you would do that job without the money. For example, I feel a certain type of peace and happiness at the local Boy Scout camp. I work with horses there and there are times where I feel more free than I ever have in my entire life. Being able to work with kids and watch them learn does have some extrinsic value but the feeling of being at peace with myself and with friends who support one another, that is what truly makes us work out there. I get paid less than minimum wage if I compared the amount of hours I worked versus how much I get based on salary. But that does not make any difference to me. I would work out there for free, except that I take the money so that I can at least somewhat support going to college. But I lose more money being out there than I gain, so there are definitely more forces at work than the monetary incentive.

I am intrinsically motivated to ride horses and take care of my pets. I feel at peace and more like myself when working with them than I have ever been anywhere else. I enjoy working with others, especially kids, and I think that stems from more of an intrinsic motivation, as I don't always have positive experiences to tell people, but enjoy the learning processes that go on in both me and them. I want to keep learning, maybe that is why I apply myself in school so much. I have never feared standardized tests or difficult coursework, because I know that they make me better. I like being able to know how things work. However, I am extrinsically motivated to work at the dining centers. I have no real interest in making pizzas or cutting fruit. It is entirely the paycheck and the conversations I have with people which keep me holding my position. I used to be extrinsically motivated to work out because I did not want to be judged, but now I do it to better myself. I get a rush from any improvement and I get an energy spike every morning, which is an amazing feeling!

When it comes to motivating myself towards my future career, I know that I need to have some form of intrinsic benefit. I think that as long as I stick to things that make me feel happy, then I will be fine. Settling on a career because it is available and pays a decent amount of money does nothing for long-term happiness. That is how people end up in unhappy careers and marriages. I think that is something on another level... marriage. People need to make sure that they are getting married by intrinsic motivation. That being with that other human truly provides them with the inmost of meaning, not financial security or prestige. They need to make sure that they are especially not motivated by outside opinions of the relationship, because that will lead to bitterness.

Terms Used: Intrinsic, extrinsic, motivation, benefit, reinforcement, punishment, behavior, long-term, short-term, rewards, stimulus, autonomy, competences, relatedness, incentive

Summarize the chapter
Chapter 5 discusses intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how they influence motivation. Extrinsic motivation is those extra-organismic factors that effect how we feel and behave. An example of extrinsic motivation is being paid money for completing a job; the money is satisfying, while the actual job may not be. Intrinsic motivation provides incentives to satisfy our internal desires for self-satisfaction. An example of intrinsic motivation is loving your job because of the way it makes you feel and you can help others. An incentive is an environmental occurrence that attracts or deters, a consequence follows a behavior, and a re-enforcer is an extrinsic event that continues desired behavior.
What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned?
I found it interesting that by introducing an extrinsic motivator to a task that someone is currently gaining intrinsic motivation from can actually decrease the desire they have for that job. It reminded me of a customer that comes into the restaurant I work at, he painted for years because he loved to do it, he would periodically gift or donate his projects to friends or charities. He later accepted a job for a company doing illustrations for various publications they were working on, he was doing the same work he always had done, he was just getting paid for it now, perfect situation right? It seemed perfect but he was doing what he loved under someone else’s constraints, and for their reasons, and he hated it.
Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid
Yes, what comes to mind is the videos of how awesome of a place Google is to work. Those people get paid very well, but even if they took a pay cut they would probably continue to work there, most of them anyway. The reason for this is because Google inspires such a liberal employee structure that it is actually enjoyable to the workers, and they have a sense of improving the lives of others.
What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
I work as a bartender at a restaurant. If you talk to anyone who has worked in the service industry, or anyone who has gone out to eat for that matter, in almost all cases Good service/friendly attitude= good tip; and that’s the whole reason we are there. I have come to really enjoy my job and I am intrinsically motivated as well, I have become friends with so many new people and have developed close relationships with many regular customers in the last two years, but at the root of it all, is that extrinsic motivator: MONEY. I participated in a service project to Tennessee for 4 years, we didn’t get paid but the reason I did it for those 4 times is because I could help people out and really enjoyed what I was doing, and felt good doing it.
How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success
This chapter will just make me think of motivation in a different light. I have learned about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in my management classes, but they never took an in-depth look into the inner-workings of the brain and how different factors could influence our actions. I think this chapter also highlights the importance of trying to see the intrinsic side of activities we do, not just the easy extrinsic motivators like money.

Chapter four looks at physiological needs. It talks about how needs are essential for our well-being. Physiological needs include thirst, hunger, and sex. Drive has lots to do with motivation and how it energizes and directs behavior. It talks about negative feedback and how it stops a behavior. It also talks about how drive can be caused by many different things. Intraorganismic mechanisms are things that biologically work to fulfill your physiological needs while extraorganismic mechanisms are environmental influences that play a role in your drive. The first physiological need it talks about is thirst. Since our bodies are mostly water, it tries to stay at the same level and if we aren’t at that level, we feel thirsty. Water is stored in two different places, intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid. It also talks about how you can’t drink forever, eventually their body tells them that they’ve had enough. The second physiological need talked about is hunger. There are two different kinds of hunger, short term and long term. Short term is what puts you into a schedule of eating three meals. This has to do with glucose levels. Long term is has to do with fat cells. Eating isn’t just done because of hunger though, it’s also done as a social event, for taste, or because it looks good. The third physiological need is sex which is influenced by hormones. It looks at how sexual desire is different from men and women. The factor that has the biggest contribution to sexual arousal is how physically attractive the person is to the other person. A lot of times people base physical attractiveness off of the person’s face. This chapter talks about sexual orientation and how it’s not a choice. It also talks about how physiological needs are not always met.
I found it interesting that motivation is worse when there is already an intrinsic motivation and if extrinsic motivation is added. It seems like if there is more incentives added, then the motivation would be better.
I think it’s very hard to be intrinsically motivated while getting paid. Getting paid is an extrinsic motivation so it decreases you intrinsic motivation. I’m sure if you’re very passionate about something you could still be intrinsically motivated but it’s rare.
I am extrinsically motivated to do things like studying. If I study, then I will get better grades. Another example is you work because you’re paid to do so. I am intrinsically motivated to read a book since I like reading. Another example of intrinsic motivation is going on a run because you love running.
This chapter helps me see that motivation for things like school and work can be worse when you’re on a reward system. If you enjoy what you’re doing, that’s more motivation to get it done. When choosing a career you should choose something you love but that also doesn’t give incentives for what you do. That way you’re doing the job because you like it.

Summarize
Extrinsic motivation is focused on outside motivators such as money or material rewards. Intrinsic motivation is defined as things that motivate us internally such as the good feeling that you might get for helping out or volunteering. These two types of motivation are very important for understanding how we can motivate ourselves and others. Extrinsic motivation isn’t always a rewarding factor but is divided into three categories: incentives, consequences, and rewards. Consequences are not only negative, as we often think of but can also include positive events. Quite often people use incentives and rewards interchangeably. Incentives differ from consequences in when they occur and the way they each motivate the behavior. Incentives come before the behavior while consequences come after the behavior. Each is a motivating factor but the question is before or after to differentiate the type of extrinsic motivation. Self-determination theory talks about the theoretical differences between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. According to this theory, there are four types of extrinsic motivation: externally regulated behaviors, introjected regulations, identified regulation, and integration.
Surprising/Interesting thing
I have heard of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation but I never realized that there were so many pieces to extrinsic motivation with three categories and four types of extrinsic motivation. One thing I remember through social psych classes is the concept of altruism which is doing something even though there is no reward. I think this should be redefined as something that you do even though it offers no extrinsic motivation.
Intrinsically motivated yet still paid
I think it is very possible to be intrinsically motivated while still being paid. There are examples of people in the world who have all the money in the world yet do things like work even though they don’t have to. A good example is a man in my hometown who owns a very large, successful manufacturing company. He doesn’t run the company but has a LOT of money, yet he is a high school teacher and donates portions of his teaching salary back to the school and other charities in our town. He’s working as a teacher because he wants to, not because he needs the extrinsic motivation of payment.
Examples of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
An example of intrinsic motivation, other than the one noted above, would be the feeling I get while working with my charity of UNI Dance Marathon. I am the co-executive director for UNI DM and I work 30-40 hours a week for this cause. On March 2nd, when we have our big event, I will get to see the smiling faces of the kids who have survived cancer, heart defects, and premature birth and see how my hard work changed the course of their lives. Extrinsic motivation can be shown in the reasons I currently work at my job, for money. This spring I was offered an internship that was a dream opportunity with something that I believe in and am truly interested in but it was unpaid. Due to bills and expenses, I had to keep a job that I don’t really care for and pass up on an internship that I was really excited about.
Change thoughts about motivation for myself in school/career?
I am a marketing major, as mentioned in all the past posts, and motivation is a key part of my education and career goals. All of my marketing classes are focused on motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic. As a senior, I am ready to graduate and what was once a motivation to learn and grow as a person has truly become a quest for a degree (extrinsic motivation). In order to survive the rest of my semester I need to try and reorient myself towards a more intrinsic motivation.
Terms: intrinsic, extrinsic, internal, reward, incentives, consequences, rewards, negative, positive, behavior, self determination theory, externally regulated, introjected, identified, integration, altruism

Summarize the chapter.
This chapter highlighted two major influencers of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the “inherent propensity to engage one’s interests and to exercise one’s capacities and to seek out and master optimal challenges.” In other words, intrinsic motivation is guided by internal motives. However, extrinsic motivation arises from environmental incentives and consequences. Basically, the goal of extrinsic motivation is determine what types of rewards influence or even “control” another person’s behavior. Although this chapter did not go into much detail for intrinsic motivation, it was loaded with examples and discussions of extrinsic motivation. Even though these two types of motivation seem to be polar opposite, in actuality the two often go hand in hand when it comes to influencing one’s behavior.

What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned?
What I found to be the most interesting thing in the chapter was in the section discussing the “hidden cost of reward.” It surprised me to read how incentives can actually undermine a person’s intrinsic motivation towards a certain behavior or activity. In other words, by rewarding others for engaging in a certain behavior decreases their motivation to engage in the behavior on their own in the future. When it comes to incentives, as a society we rely on expected and tangible rewards to motivate others. Unfortunately, these rewards significantly and negatively affect the quality of learning and developing autonomy which is crucial in intrinsic motivation. Although I knew that our society was very much into receiving tangible rewards, such as money, I had never thought of this as actually decreasing motivation.

Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid?
Yes, I would say it is possible to be paid and still be intrinsically motivated. For example, I enjoy spending time with my family and I am fortunate enough to have a cousin living here in Cedar Falls. She and her husband have two young kids that I enjoy seeing on a regular basis. I even lived with them for a month this past summer, so that definitely gave me plenty of quality time with them. However, every once in a while when my cousin decides she wants to have a night off, her and her husband offer to pay me to watch the kids for an hour or so. Sure, it’s nice to be paid but that does not change the fact that I would watch her kids regardless; I love those kids! This type of motivation I see as being similar to integrated regulation, a form of extrinsic motivation that is the most autonomous. This type of extrinsic motivation is important because a person engages in a certain behavior that reflects their values. I highly value being close with my family, and so I will seek out ways to spend time with them even if I get paid to do so from time to time.

What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
Like I previously mentioned, I certainly feel I am both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to spend time with my family. I am intrinsically motivated to read leisure books during my spare time because I truly enjoying reading for fun. This is a kind of activity that I personally enjoy doing and don’t have any outside motivators influencing me to engage in this behavior. On the other hand, I am definitely extrinsically motivated to read my textbooks. I do so in order to receive good grades on my assignments and tests in all my classes.

How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success?
After reading this chapter, I suppose I noticed how much of my life is guided by extrinsic motivations: I am paid to go to work, given good grades for doing my assignments, and receive praise when I complete tasks at home. I think now though that in order for me to be successful in school and my future career I will have to find ways to motivate myself to engage in certain activities. This might start as a kind of identified regulation in which I start motivating myself to do things “because it is important,” such as completing chores around my apartment or training for certain positions at my part-time job. However, I truly believe at this point I am taking classes I thoroughly enjoy so I am intrinsically motivated to participate and engage in class every day. Also, in the future I plan on being in a career I love; a career in which even if I wasn’t being paid I could still motivate myself to participate in this field at any chance I could get.

Terms: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, “hidden cost of reward,” integrated regulation, identified regulation

Chapter five discusses intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how they work. It describes intrinsic motivation as the inherent want to do something, not because something else is influencing us to do it. Extrinsic motivation is comes from environmental influences, such as a reward or some form of reinforcement. The chapter then goes on to explain some forms of those reinforcements such as rewards and incentives, and how these can regulate motivation. Then the chapter discusses the cognitive evaluation theory, which is a way to predict the effects than an extrinsic event may have on motivation.

The part I found the most interesting was about the hidden cost of extrinsic rewards. I actually just learned about this concept in my social psychology class and found it very interesting and amazing then too. It is sometimes difficult for me to understand because normally you would think extrinsic rewards would cause the behavior to increase, and while sometimes it does, it can also interfere with the behavior and cause it to decrease for one reason or another.

I think if someone enjoys their job and is good at it, it is possible to be intrinsically motivated while getting paid. If a person is being motivated by more than just their pay, then it is intrinsic motivation. If a person is in a position that they hate, and only continue working there, then it becomes extrinsic motivation to continue working.

I would say I’m intrinsically motivated to work out on a regular basis. Yes, there are of course positive incentives that come from working out, but I enjoy working out because I feel good afterwards and I feel accomplished, so therefore it is an example of intrinsic motivation. I am extrinsically motivated to study. If I study and do my homework, there’s better chance I will get good grades. This is an example of extrinsic motivation because I wouldn’t normally just study because I want to, but I do because I know there will be good consequences.

When it comes to school and careers, it is important to find a good balance of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Right now, I love the job I have so I am very much intrinsically motivated to go to work, and I can only hope that I am intrinsically motivated to work at my future career, as well as extrinsically motivated for the pay, of course. The same goes with school. As I move on in taking courses that I enjoy for my major, intrinsic motivation plays more of a role than it did in the past when I didn’t enjoy my classes. Now, at least, I am interested in what I’m learning about.

Terms: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, reinforcement, rewards, incentives, cognitive evaluation theory, extrinsic rewards, consequences.

Chapter 5 discusses intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation means that a person is motivated by internal factors, and extrinsic motivation means that a person is motivated by external factors. It explains various types of motivational influences including: incentives, reinforcements, consequences, and rewards, to name a few. The chapter explains when it is beneficial to use these things and when it impacts a persons intrinsic motivation negatively. There is a time and place for each type of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

In general, this chapter has been the most interesting chapter I have read so far. I specifically found the most interesting section to be on incentives. In my role as a wellness coordinator, I often use incentives to motivate people to participate in tasks and activities they may not otherwise participate in (as it relates to their health). This chapter helped clarify for me when it is beneficial to use incentives, as well as when it is beneficial to use other types of motivators.

I do believe that it is possible to be intrinsically motivated an still be paid. For example, I enjoy dog sitting for my neighbor, and I would do this without being paid because I am fond of animals. I often stop over to my neighbors house to see their dog because I do enjoy seeing him so much. However, when I dog sit for my neighbor she pays me. I am intrinsically motivated to do so, yet I am being paid.

I am intrinsically motivated to exercise. Exercise is something I love to do, and I always make time to exercise for myself. This makes me feel good, and I am always in a better mood when I am able to exercise. It is good for my health and I feel good about myself after exercise. I am also intrinsically motivated to to read books for leisure and spend time with my family, friends and dog. I am externally motivated by many things in life. I am also externally motivated to do well in school because I enjoy receiving good grades. I am externally motivated to graduate with my master's degree because I will make more money as a wellness coordinator with this degree. Those are just two examples of how I am externally motivated, but I could name many more.

After reading this chapter I have learned how important internal motivation is. Internal motivation usually results in better outcomes. Internal motivation usually means that the person actually takes interest in what they are doing; thus they tend to do it better. Although external motivation has its benefits, it also has its place. As it relates to school and work for me, I think I need to really focus on what is internally motivating about school and work. Once I have done some reflecting I hope I am able to invest more interest and time into the things that I may not have before.

Terms: Internal motivation, external motivation, incentives, rewards, consequences

Summarize the chapter.
Motivation does not always come from within the person, so instead it may come from the environment. When motivation comes from within the person, it is intrinsic motivation that drives them, but it is extrinsic motivation that is supplied by the environment. Intrinsic motivation is the person’s interest in seeking their interests, capacities, and mastering challenges. This type of motivation is done for the fun of it and often occurs spontaneously. It comes from the psychological need within the person. When intrinsic motivation occurs, it should be promoted because it leads to many important benefits to the person in regards to persistence, creativity, conceptual understanding, and subjective well-being.

Extrinsic motivation comes from environmental incentives and consequences. This is done for the perceived rewards (money, scholarships, stickers, candy, smiles, recognition, etc) or to avoid a negative consequence. An incentive is learned through experience that shapes later goal-directed behavior. There are two types of reinforces—positive and negative. Both increase the future probability of the desired behavior. The difference is that stimuli that negatively reinforces are aversive or irritating. With extrinsic motivation, there is also punishers, which decrease the probability of the undesired behavior. Punishers are popular but ineffective as a motivational strategy. Extrinsic rewards are an offering a person gives to another for service or achievement in return. Rewards given to a person that is intrinsically motivated does not increase the amount of motivation for a task.

To build another person’s interest in a task situational interest or individual interest may be used. Situational interest is triggered by appealing to external events and creates short-term fondness to the activity. Individual interest, on the other hand, is more stable and specific to the person’s enjoyment in an activity.

What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned?
I found the section on “What Is So Great about Intrinsic Motivation?” to be very interesting. It was divided into four categories. The first was on persistence, and the higher a person’s intrinsic motivation, the greater his/her persistence will be towards that task. Creativity is another subtopic, in which it can be undermined by controlling events—being watched, evaluated, bossed, rewarded. People are also most creative when they feel motivated by interest, enjoyment, and satisfaction of the work, rather than the feeling of some sort of external pressure. When it comes to learning and conceptual understanding, a person that is intrinsically motivated, he/she thinks about the material in a less rigid and conceptual way, rather than just memorizing the material to get the answer correct. The final subtopic is on optimal functioning and well-being. When someone is intrinsically motivated, this person generally is less depressed and anxious, greater self-esteem, and higher quality of interpersonal relationships.

Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid?
I believe that it is still possible to be intrinsically motivated to work. If a person is truly passionate about their work and does it to challenge themselves and gain more competence, then they could be driven by intrinsic motivation. It does depend on the individual, because most individuals work for the environmental incentives of receiving money and praise. When I think of being intrinsically motivated while working, I consider volunteer work, but it is still possible that a person volunteers for an environmental incentive.

What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
Intrinsically motivated: I am intrinsically motivated to ride horses for fun, participate in Volunteer Tuesdays, travel, help others, and make crafts for my room.

Extrinsically motivated: For extrinsic motivation, I typically read, study, and prepare presentations so I am able to receive good grades, gain extra credit, and keep scholarships. I also wash dishes and clean room to prevent mold and odor.

How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success?
When it comes to my future, I am intrinsically motivated to learn as much as I can, but I am also extrinsically motivated to achieve success. I want to challenge myself and make an impact on others lives. I realize that I need to ensure that the intrinsic motivation continues within the rest of my education and throughout my career. If I do this, I am more likely to be happy with my experience. Being in the helping profession can be very emotionally draining, so it is important to make sure that I am doing something I enjoy and that it optimizes my well-being. If I begin to take interest in learning and retaining information from my classes more, it would be considered intrinsic motivation. This way when similar material is discussed in another class, I will already have some knowledge of it.

Summary:
Chapter 5 mainly discussed intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. It explained that intrinsic motivation emerges from psychological needs and people act out of their own interest when they are intrinsically motivated. Some subtopics of intrinsic motivation discussed were persistence, creativity, conceptual understanding/high-quality learning, and optimal functioning/well-being. Extrinsic motivation was further broken down into incentives, consequences, and rewards. Incentives are preceding events that motivate a person to perform a certain behavior. Consequences include positive re-inforcers which increase the probability the desired action will occur again, negative re-inforcers which increase the probability the desired action will occur again if they’re eliminated, and punishers which decrease the probability the undesired action will occur again. Rewards are the positive incentives the person receives once the desired behavior is performed. The text then asked questions about whether or not rewards and punishments work to drive behavior. It was ultimately concluded that rewards and punishments can be damaging in that they interfere with the learning process and development. The hidden cost of reward was said to negatively affect the intrinsic motivation a person has for carrying out a certain behavior. However, the text did discuss ways incentives, consequences, and rewards can be utilized in a positive way; it proposed that using unexpected and verbal rewards has positive benefits. The cognitive evaluation theory was also discussed. It said the theory can offer a way to foresee the effect events will have on intrinsic motivation. It mainly states that if the extrinsic event is too controlling it decreases internal motivation because it negatively affects autonomy. However, if the event is presented in an informational way intrinsic motivation will increase because it benefits competency and does not affect autonomy in a negative way. Various examples of both types of motivational events were also discussed. What I took away from the examples was that being specific about the desired behavior that was performed helped the people performing the action learn exactly what they did that was desired. Other types of regulation methods such as external, introjected, identified, and integrated motivation were also presented. External motivational behaviors are performed in order to receive an external demand and external regulation methods are the least self-regulating methods. Integrative regulation methods are the methods that provide the subject with the most autonomy over its behaviors and require them to use new information along with already learned behaviors in order to receive the award. I was not exactly clear on the other two methods but I’m sure the amount of self-administered rewards fell in between the two extremes. All these ways of regulation are important for the effects they have on a person’s intrinsic motivation. The conclusion of the chapter discussed hardships in motivating others when it comes to them performing tasks they aren’t concerned with learning. This involved the need to make the tasks interesting to the person
What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned?
I found learning the different ways people are extrinsically motivated was interesting. Some examples such as stickers, gold stars, and pats on the back seem so trivial now but when I was younger those were the things that extrinsically motivated me. Ready the list also kind of made me think of humans as animals who perform to get a treat. Some of the other rewards such as scholarships, money, and awards seem more important though. I also thought it was interesting that certain ways incentives, consequences, and rewards do not always produce purely positive results.
Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid?
I believe it is possible to be both intrinsically motivated and still be paid. Everyone has a need to do what they love and love what they do. That provides the psychological need of intrinsic motivation. The extrinsic motivation of receiving money is a definite incentive to having a job but if a person is performing tasks they want to. A good example could be coaching. Most coaches don’t make even close to the amount of money needed to make a living and often have other jobs but they put so much energy into it because they are passionate about helping shape kids’ lives in a positive way and fostering young talent. However, it is possible to not be intrinsically motivated and still be paid. I’m a great example; I am the least self-motivated person I know. The only reason I’m in school is to make more money someday. If I could be paid a large amount of money even without a college degree I would not be wasting my time in school.
What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
I am intrinsically motivated to be more outgoing lately. Being outgoing allows me to make new friends and be more social. The desire to belong is a psychological need so psychological processes are driving that intrinsic motivation. Also, no one is dangling a material reward for me to work to attain. On the other hand, something I am extrinsically motivated to do is get good grades. The university places those who do well on the Dean’s List and that looks very good on resumes. Good resumes can lead to better job opportunities and better jobs lead to more money. That is another topic this chapter discussed and it definitely pertains to my life.
How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success? Honestly this information probably won’t change how I think about motivating myself for school and career success. I think in that realm I’ll always be extrinsically motivated like I know I have always been. It’s sad but true.
Terms in bold

Chapter 5 talks about intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic is when you decide to do something to see if you can. The book used the phrase of “for the fun of it” to explain intrinsic motivation because it is when you give yourself the challenge of the activity as opposed to doing it because you have to or to get something out of it. Referring to chapter 4, intrinsic motivation goes hand in hand with psychological needs such as autonomy, competence, and relatedness. However, extrinsic is all about the incentives and consequences from the environment. The phrase they used for this type of motivation was “what’s in it for me?” and “do this and you will get that”. Incentives for being extrinsically motivated can be: money, food, praise, etc. as long as it’s seen as a reward. The incentive makes you want or not want to engage in a behavior therefore creating the desire to either continue with the behavior or stop it. This chapter also touches on positive and negative reinforcers and punishers which are all part of external motivation also. Continuing with extrinsic motivation, there are 4 types discussed in this chapter: external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation.

The most interesting thing I learned in this chapter would probably be about how little things can be incentives. For instance, when opening my inbox on AOL (yes I still have an AOL email account), it always says “you’ve got mail” and I never thought of it as anything motivational, but I guess it is. Plus it reminded me of the movie You’ve Got Mail and I think when both characters in that movie heard those three words, they were more motivated to read their mail and write back.

Yes, it is possible to intrinsically motivated and get paid. I think I could do something ‘for the fun of it’ and get paid like going and being a camp counselor over summer because it looks like a fun idea. Obviously, the incentive would be getting paid though that wasn’t the reason you wanted to do it.

Some examples of how I am intrinsically motivated are just giving back to the community. I just signed up for some Volunteer Tuesdays events because I wanted to give back and thought I had the time and I’m not seeking anything out of it, but just the feeling I’ll get by doing it. Another intrinsic motivation would be doing well in school because I know it does give me an education, but I’m doing it for my own self-worth and to make my parents proud of me. Extrinsic motivations are a lot simpler to think about like working and receiving a paycheck. Another is similar with donating plasma at Biolife and getting money from that.

I think after reading this chapter I would like to do things that motivate me intrinsically more than extrinsically because of the effects it has on you in the long run. For instance, the higher your intrinsic motivation the more persistent you become and how your creativity can be enhanced by intrinsic motivation as well. I am part of the mascot program at UNI (security-not a mascot) and it’s a lot of volunteered time and effort that we don’t get paid. I try to put a lot of my time into that because the people in it make me happy to be a part of it and it pays off in other ways than money, like developing friendships and makes me more sociable.

Terms: extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, reinforcer, punisher, autonomy, competence, relatedness, incentive, consequence, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation

Chapter five discussed intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is internal motivation that arises from your own needs. Extrinsic motivation can be broken down into incentives, rewards, and punishments. All are results of your behavior from the environment. An incentive is a reward you are working for, that you know you will receive if you accomplish a certain task or behavior. Consequences are either positive reinforcers or negative reinforcers. The chapter continued with what actually drives behavior, and how one could cause certain behaviors in themselves or others. The hidden cost of reward was discussed as a problem with rewards and consequences. This is because these methods can decrease the intrinsic motivation of a person to act without the incentive. This depends on the kind of reward or consequence as well as how it is presented. One can predict the effect these environmental events will have on intrinsic motivation using cognitive evaluation theory.
I was surprised and interested in the hidden cost of reward discussed in the chapter. It was not something I had ever thought about. It is a little discouraging to think that by trying very much to motivate someone, you can inadvertently decrease their intrinsic motivation. This is especially difficult in a group setting. In a school, for example, giving away gold stars is a great way to motivate kids to read. If a child already is intrinsically motivated to read, however, he or she may feel less motivated to do so without the incentive of a gold star. Everyone is a little bit different, and so motivating a group becomes extremely difficult.
I do think it is possible to be paid for a behavior and still be intrinsically motivated to do so for most people. The big issue here is how much the behavior was enjoyed initially and how the person feels about being paid. For some people, money means much more than it does for others. For these people, it may not be possible to be paid for a job and still have intrinsic motivation to continue. For others, being paid is like a bonus to what they already love to do. If a person feels like they have chosen what they are doing on their own free will and enjoys the work they do, it is certainly possible.
In school, I am both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. I am intrinsically motivated by my desire for knowledge and my interest in the topics I am studying. I am extrinsically motivated by the grade I will receive. Without this extrinsic motivation, I would certainly not write reflection papers or take tests, but I would still be likely to read and learn about the subjects I care about. I can definitely see the hidden cost of reward at work in my reading. I love to pick up a book and read it for fun, but when the control is taken from me and I am told I must read a certain book for a class, it suddenly becomes a chore. My motivation has been completely diminished and I have to force myself through it knowing that I will receive a poor grade if I do not read it.
This chapter has reminded me how important it is to set goals and create challenges for myself in order to become more extrinsically motivated. It has also made me think a lot about my job. I coach young children, and I think I will pay more attention to the extrinsic motivators that I am providing, trying to understand if they are really helping or not.

Chapter 5 discussed the details of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is when an individual engages in their interests and seeks to be challenged and grow with no external stimulation or influence. Extrinsic motivation is when an individual engages in a behavior because of an external influence such as a reward, punishment, or incentive. In extrinsic motivation there are consequences: reinforcers and punishments. Reinforcers can be either positive or negative and as a result either increase or decrease motivation. There are also different types of extrinsic motivation that each regulate motivation differently: external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation. External regulation is strictly external, it makes the individual only motivated by rewards/punishments, but as the regulation styles move to integrated regulation, the motivation becomes internal as the individual is aware of themselves, and values what they are doing.

The most surprising and interesting thing I learned was about the external and tangible rewards. External and tangible rewards can cause a decrease in intrinsic motivation. This surprised me because I have always thought that giving someone a tangible and external reward would increase their motivation to do something and that they would be more intrinsicly motivated, but in this chapter it said that unexpected rewards and intangible rewards increase intrinsic motivation way more than expected and tangible rewards do. It made me think about my own life and how that has been true of me: when I receive an unexpected gift or verbal praise, I am more interested and inwardly motivated than when I know that I will get a tangible gift when I accomplish a task.

I think that it is possible to be intrinsically motivated and still be paid because many people are intrinisically motivated to do their jobs and they get paid. But most of the time they are not motivated by the money, they would do their job for less or no pay if they are truly intrinsically motivated and if they enjoy and find joy in what they are doing. An individual who is getting paid and is intrinsically motivated probably finds their motivation from things other than the money. But with time, they could begin to lose their motivation if they are not receiving the unexpected and intangible rewards, or if they lose their sense of purpose and value behind what they are doing.

I am intrinsically motivated to do things that I love: play sports, invest in others lives, talk with people, go to my job (because I enjoy it)...I also am intrinsically motivated when I see the value behind what I am doing: when I can see positive results. I am extrinsically motivated to do school work, to do certain tasks at my job, to plan certain events and coordinate things in my life because I need to be organized and lead in certain situations. I am extrinsically motivated by grades, by not wasting money, by not letting others down, by having the responsibility to get something done...and I am intrinsically motivated by my values and my interests. This chapter informed me about how and why I am motivated both intrinsically and extrinsically. This information can help me think about how I can motivate myself to be successful in my school work. A lot of times I just need to know why I am doing something and to see the value behind it, so this made me think about why I am taking classes, and why it is important for me to not just get good grades, but more importantly to actually learn the material and apply it to my life. So in thinking about how these classes will help me in my future career, it helps me be more intrinsically motivated to do my best and to learn the material. I also motivate myself to do my school work by rewarding myself with things that I love: going to play basketball, spending time with friends, reading and more.

This chapter is all about things that motivate us to do better, described in the chapter is punishment/consequence and reward/benefit. When we are punished for doing something bad we face the consequences for it and are motivated to change our behavior. Same thing when we get a reward for doing something good, it comes with that new benefit which motivates us to change our behavior to we can keep that continued pattern. Two types of motivation are described in this chapter Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Intrinsic is the type of motivation that comes from within someone. Whereas extrinsic motivation comes from outside influences such as money, grades, work, and anything else that would motivate us to do better.
What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned?
The most interesting thing for me was why Intrinsic Motivation was so important. I think it is interesting how one’s need for survival can make them go to incredible lengths that normally they wouldn’t. It says in the book, “Intrinsic motivation is a natural motivation that emerges spontaneously out of people’s psychological needs”. I am thinking about Cast Away last week and how when Tom Hanks psychological needs made him motivated enough to keep on living, it’s astonishing to think about how far some people will go to survive.
Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid?
I am saying yes to this one, even though being paid is an outer influence there is still some desire to do good on the job. They even mentioned one of the authors making this statement on the Principle of Creativity, “People will be most creative when they feel motivated primarily by the interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, and challenge of the work itself; rather than by external pressures”(Teresa Amabile, 1983). So to me that statement means that just because I am getting paid to work doesn’t mean I am not going to be creative about it, and that creativity comes from within, not outside.
What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
A few examples of how I am intrinsically motivated are my desires to simply eat or achieve a great goal such as obtaining a degree. I think about my desire to roll a perfect game every time I am on the lanes to bowl. How badly inside I really want to roll that strike creates Intrinsic Motivation for me. An example for extrinsic motivation would be getting a raise for the quality of work I do. When I am on the job I am always thinking about next job evaluation and if I don’t do good work for my employer they will give me a bad review.
How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success?
The information from this chapter makes me rethink and revaluate how well I am actually doing for my life long-term goals. I think about all of the external things out there that motivate me to strive for more, and the intrinsic things that make me just want to satisfy myself as a human being.
Me words: Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Creativity, Punishment, Goals, Psychological Needs, Reward/Benefit

Summary

This chapter goes into the basis of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivations. Intrinsic motivation is the inherent propensity to engage one’s interests and to exercise one’s capacities and, in doing so, to seek out and master optimal challenges. When people are intrinsically motivated, they act out of interest, “for the fun of it,” and for the sense of challenge the activity at hand provides. Extrinsic motivation arises from environmental incentives and consequences, such as food, money, praise, attention, stickers, gold stars, privileges, tokens, approval, scholarships, candy, trophies, extra credit points, certificates, awards, smiles, public recognition, a pat on the back, prizes, and various incentive plans. Extrinsic motivation arises from some consequence that is separate from the activity itself. The chapter also talks about the cognitive evaluation theory.
Cognitive evaluation theory provides a way for predicting the effects that any extrinsic event will have on motivation. The theory explains how an extrinsic event affects intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, as mediated by the event’s effect on the psychological needs for competence and autonomy. When an extrinsic event is presented in a relatively controlling way, it increases extrinsic motivation but decreases intrinsic motivation because of its detrimental effects on autonomy
Self-determination expands the distinction between intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation into a continuum of types of motivation. Four types of extrinsic motivation exist: external regulation, externally regulated, introjected regulation, integration regulation. The four types of extrinsic are important because the more self-determined is the person’s extrinsic motivation the greater is his or her functioning in the terms of performance, social development, and psychological well-being.

Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid?

Yes, I believe it is possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid. Let’s say you enjoy doing a certain task and the task that you enjoy doing happens to be your job then this would be an illustration of being intrinsically motivated. I love skateboarding; I skateboard because it is fun. If I got sponsored by a skateboarding company and made a professional skateboarding career, I would get to compete in competition for cash prizes, then I would intrinsically motivated about skateboarding in the competition with cash prizes involved. I have always been told if you do what you love the money will come.

What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned?

The most interesting thing I learned in chapter five was the section about reinforcer. A reinforcer is any extrinsic event that increases behavior. If you get a paycheck for going to work and the offering of the paycheck keeps you coming to work, then the paycheck is a reinforcer. But the definition differs if you look at the word reinforcer from a theoretical point of view, a reinforcer must be defined in a manner that is independent from its effects on behavior. A reinforcer is one of the two types of consequences and there are positive reinforcers and negative reinforcers. A positive reinforcer is any environmental stimulus that, when presented, increases the future probability of the desired behavior. A negative reinforcer is any environmental stimulus that, when removed, increases the future probability of the desired behavior.

What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?

Intrinsic motivation is a natural motivation that emerges spontaneously out of people’s psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Intrinsic motivation leads to so many important benefits to the person, including persistence, creativity, conceptual understanding, and subjective well-being. The higher a person’s intrinsic motivation, the greater will be his or her persistence on the task. Teresa Amabile Intrinsic Motivation Principle of Creativity: “People will be most creative when they feel motivated primarily by the interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, and challenges of the work itself. When intrinsically motivated, learners think about and integrate information in a flexible, less rigid, and conceptual way. Pursuing intrinsic goals leads to better functioning and higher psychological well-being than does pursuing extrinsic goals. If you are intrinsically motivated you are doing the task for fun.

Extrinsic motivation arises from environmental incentives and consequences. There are four types of extrinsic motivation: external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation. The book illustrates the four types of motivation using the example of recycling. Why do you recycle? External Regulation; “I recycle to make five cents on each can.” The reason this person recycled is because of the incentives and consequences. Introjected Regulation; “I recycle because I ought to, if I am going to feel good, rather than guilty, about myself.” The reason this person recycled is because he should, it is the right thing to do. Identified Regulation; “I recycle because it is important for a cleaner environment.” The reason this person recycled is because it is important. Integrated Regulation; “I recycle because it reflects and expresses who I am and what I believe.” The reason this person recycled is because it reflected his or her values.

How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success?

After reading chapter five if found out that it would benefit my future if I would get intrinsically motivated about school work. People experience intrinsic motivation because they have psychological needs within themselves. People express their intrinsic motivation by saying, “That’s fun,” or ‘I enjoy doing that.” I do not think I have ever been intrinsically motivated to do my homework. I do my homework because of the incentives and consequences that come with doing homework. This type of extrinsic motivation is called external regulation. Without the deadline for my homework, I lack the motivation necessary to write. I need to make doing my homework interesting. Interest is a topic-specific motivational state that arises out of attraction to a particular domain of activity. It enhances the attention, effort, and learning one directs toward that activity.

The focus of chapter 5 is on the two different types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes from the person’s goal to satisfy psychological needs. Persistence, creativity, conceptual understanding, and well-being are all benefits that can come from our natural intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is affected by incentives, consequences, and rewards. When you talk about extrinsic motivation, you usually accompany the term operant conditioning to explain how these behaviors are learned. Chapter 5 goes into great detail about the different types of rewards and punishments. For the most part, these positive and negative reinforcements can help to modify a person’s behavior to be more desirable. The chapter also talks about the “hidden costs of reward”, and what can happen when reward doesn't always work. The four main types of extrinsic motivation are external, introjected, identified, and integrated regulation.

I found it interesting to read about the different ways that extrinsic motivation can come with a “hidden cost.” The sections shows that having an extrinsic reward could distract a student’s attention away from the material they are learning. Also, if you are given a reward every time you are asked to do something then you will have a tough time doing a task for someone without receiving a reward. This makes the person “reward-dependent”, and have less intrinsic motivation to accomplish a task.

I believe that you can be intrinsically motivated and still get paid. If you have a passion for something then you should pursue it. Finding a career that you love being a part of can help you to focus less on the external reward and more on how you are internally motivated. I am intrinsically motivated to go to school every day so that I won’t think of myself as a failure. I’m also motivated internally to read, shower, clean, cook, work out, and play sports to keep myself active, healthy, and happy. I’m extrinsically motivated to go to work on time, in the hopes that I may receive a promotion or financial benefits. I’m also motivated to get my homework done on time so I can receive a degree after 4 years.

After reading this chapter I have a better understanding when it comes to knowing why I am motivated to do certain tasks. Sometimes being extrinsically motivated just isn't enough. If you can tell yourself that the physical and psychological reward are worth it, then you can accomplish about anything you seem fit. Rewards are also often unexpected. This should give you even more reason to focus on school or work. You never know when you could benefit from something unless you actually do it.

Chapter 5 was my favorite chapter thus far as it is an area that i find beyond fascinating. With each of us we fuel off of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is such that is driven by environmental factors that arise due to our obligation to reach a further 'need' such as money, food, vacation, etc. Within the study of extrinsic motivation alone there are three central concepts: incentives(event that attracts or repels one from initiating a specific action), consequences (reinforcers/punishers), and rewards. Although much of what i previously thought was that extrinsic motivation was universally positive, it is not. When it comes to externally motivating an individual the form of the incentives, consequences, and rewards may in fact be a set back. It is only positive light if the concepts are both non-controlling or hinder the psychological life of the individual and are information-rich or steps in progression, not a process that is overall a regression in the individual.
On the other hand, we have intrinsic motivation. A type of motivation that comes from within. Here we see an individual engage one's interest and energy to achieve a goal that will 'to them' produce a personal growth. It is the desire inside that pushes one to in one case to lose weight, become a doctor, preserve a rainforest, etc.
What i found most interesting in the chapter was the Cognitive evaluation theory. It gives us a way to predict how extrinsic events effect motivation. For instance it may use money, grades, promotions, etc. to evaluate how it is they relate to intrinsic motivation. What it found was that when an extrinsic event is presented in a realatively controlling way, it increases extrinsic motivation, however, when an extrinsic event is presented in an informational way, it increases intrinsic motivation. Further, the effectiveness in whether it is beneficial to an individual or not is based upon whether or not it is controlling and/or informational. In summary, the chapter does a great job to lay out how it is we convince ourselves to partake in activities that may not sound pleasurable, but are undertaken due to our psychological understanding in how they relay into further 'ends.' We use both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to regulate how it is we live life and are able to achieve what it is we truly want, even though the road to the finish line is not pleasing, we understand the end result.
Yes, it is possible to be intrinsically motivated and still get paid. Although for many of us 'work' is not intrinsically satisfying, there are a number of professions or tasks that result in monetary reward that also exhibit personal intrinsic motivation. For example, a doctor may be granted a generous salary, but they may be practicing for the mere idea in that to them it is delightful to assist in the health of others, it just so happens they get paid for doing what they love. Personally, i am intrinsically motivated to attend law school for it is a job i have always dreamed of doing. I am therefore extrinsically motivated to attend undergraduate classes to obtain a solid GPA, even if a few courses are not of my interest, I have the 'means to an end' motivation to allow intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to work in symphony.
Reading the chapter and the information that it produced will help me in my approach to motivation in that I now better understand the psychological basis of how it works as a process. For example, I have always known that 'punishers' were present, such as getting a ticket, but looked at it as a symptom of having a bad day. However, the way i may now look at it is that "I got the ticket while at work, of which I must partake, for it allows me to afford my undergraduate education; resulting in my end goal or intrinsic desire to attend graduate school."

Summarize the chapter. What was the most surprising/interesting thing you learned? Is it possible to be intrinsically motivated yet still be paid? What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated? How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/career success?

Summarize the chapter
Chapter 5 describes what intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation is in individuals. Intrinsic motivation are actions that come up out of interest and psychological needs this type of motivation can be highly influential to people. Intrinsic motivations is the drive that a person gets from inner interest and feeling a sense of challenge. Extrinsic motivation involves a few key concepts; incentives, consequences, and rewards.
What was the most interesting thing you learned?
The most interesting concept of this chapter was learning about extrinsic motivation, I have taken behavior modification and it was nice to go into more detail about examples of consequences and how they can affect motivation. I always believed that motivation had more to do with inner motivation, but after reading this chapter I have realized that we are more influenced by extrinsic motivation.

What are some examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated?
One intrinsically motivation I had when I was in high school was my motivation for gaining my cosmetology license. I had to take extra classes at night and during the summer to make room for my schedule for the classes in cosmetology. I had always had an interest in doing hair and this was my chance to do it. Even though I did not have to take the classes to graduate I was determined in mastering the art of doing hair.This coming summer I hope to go to Taiwan for a short study abroad trip. This program is take students from UNI psychology and biology departments to do research in neuroscience. Even though this program can also be an example of my own intrinsically motivation. I also hope to gain experience which would allow me to hopefully be able to put on my curriculum vita and set me apart from others applying to the University. This would make my motivation for this study abroad opportunity also extrinsically.
How will information from this chapter change how you think about motivating yourself for school/ career success?
This chapter has given me some perspective on different ways we can be motivated, I hope to use my ability to control incentives and consequences in my own life, manipulating my own extrinsic motivation to finish my school work.
Terms- intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, reward, positive reinforcer, motivation