Motivation Module 10.6

Extrinsic motivation is reward-driven behavior. It’s a type of operant conditioning, which is a form of behavior modification that uses rewards or punishments to increase or decrease the probability that explicit actions will recur. In extrinsic motivation, rewards or other incentives — like praise, fame, or money — are used to motivate. However, extrinsic motivation doesn’t always have a tangible reward. It can also be done through abstract rewards, like praise. promotion or fame .(Source: https://www. Healthline .com/health/extrinsic-motivation). In contrast to doing something for a reward, extrinsic motivation also has an avoidance goal; for example, to avoid punishment or  being shamed or judged etc. (Source: https://www. verywellmind. com/what-is-extrinsic-motivation-2795164). 

The following are four different types of extrinsic motivation (Vallerand. 1997): 

​

i .  External regulation means you do something to satisfy an external demand or receive external incentives. An example would be a student who studies hard to get good grades to receive material rewards from their parents. Although the behavior is intentional, it is controlled by an external source. Thus this action is externally regulated. 

ii. Introjection regulation means taking in the cause of doing something but not fully accepting it. An example would be a student who spends lots of time practicing piano for a recital to avoid embarrassing themselves in front of others. This type of regulation is perceived as controlled because introjected behavior is performed due to internal pressure to reduce guilt or anxiety, enhance ego or pride, or maintain self-esteem or feeling of self-worth. 

iii.  Regulation THROUGH IDENTIFICATION is a less controlling form of extrinsic motivation. Identification means the person consciously values a goal and believes the activity is personally important. They don’t study simply because they feel they should.  

iv. INTEGRATED REGULATION occurs when one has fully taken in the reason for action, i.e., a person has examined the cause and found it compatible with their own values and needs. Then the action becomes self-initiated. It is autonomous and not controlled by external motivators ​( Ryan R & Deci, 2000). Despite being extrinsic, integrated motivation shares many similar qualities as intrinsic motivation and is the best type of extrinsic motivation. Some researchers even refer to integrated regulation as intrinsic because the person has completely internalized the extrinsic cause into their values.