Why is extrinsic motivation good

Share consistently with managers or leaders when and how their feedback helps you to be motivated. Also, give them positive feedback when their guidance was beneficial. Work for the rewards that please you, but be aware of your limits and take breaks when you need them. Make sure you also set aside time to explore new skills and activities you are interested in for the sake of enjoyment or to learn something new. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are important ways of driving behavior.

In the learning setting, this manifests as, for instance, studying for an exam to get a good grade or stopping unwanted behavior to avoid punishment. Research shows that the results of extrinsic motivation are weak and can even be detrimental in the long-term. Certain psychologists even indicate that excessively focusing on external motivators can create dependencies.

Constantly getting rewards for accomplishments may stand in the way of children being able to develop into independent learners and consequently — workers. That can lead to children basing their worthiness and self-esteem on external validation. Intrinsic motivation has been repeatedly linked to:. They found that extrinsic motivators, in this specific case — higher grades, can give a short boost in interest and motivation. Yet, they lose their effectiveness overtime. We are always working for extrinsic rewards in our own way each day.

We need to have these external benefits for our very survival. There are three core needs that people must have in life: food, water, and shelter. Clothing is nice to have as well. The reasons why we pursue them and how we do it might vary, but the desire to survive is the core driving factor in the choices that we make. Even if you decide to stay away from formal employment, tending a garden every day creates an extrinsic reward that provides food.

You can build a shelter out in the woods through your labor because of extrinsic motivation. We often look at this concept for the small rewards in life, like feeling great about our job or being more productive, but it also applies to the very basics of life. The rewards can be tangible or psychological and still be beneficial. Extrinsic motivation is defined as our choice to engage in a specific activity so that a gain is experienced somehow in life.

Money and trophies are important tangible rewards that can serve as motivation factors, but praise and public acclaim can serve as a reward too. Even if the rewards only provide a short burst of activity, they feelings they provide can turn an external reward into an internal one. When someone offers praise for a job well done, the pride that this can inspire can lead to similar outcomes in the future for similar tasks. It is a highly effective method of increasing motivation. This type of motivation is highly effective at producing results.

We often use multiple layers of extrinsic motivation every day, whether that means shopping at a specific store to collect loyalty points or a credit card to collect miles so that you can take a vacation later in the year. Any time we choose a specific behavior to collect an external reward, then this is the process that we follow.

As long as the individual or group continues to see value in the work, then this motivation will continue to be present. If there are different rewards available after each project, there can be ongoing interest in the processes because different needs are being met at each conclusion point. Extrinsic rewards can help people to save money.

Saving money is just as motivational for people to consider as earning it when making choices throughout the day. If you clip coupons or search for promo codes online before making a purchase, then you are taking advantage of this specific benefit. You are also using extrinsic value when you shop the clearance rack at a store, complete tasks to avoid judgment, or earn a degree so that you can have a bigger paycheck to stash some cash in the bank. Whenever your motivation comes from the outside to complete a task, then you are experiencing this process in some way.

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 intrinsic 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.

In a classic experiment by Lepper, Greene, and Nisbett, children were rewarded lavishly for drawing with felt-tip pens, an activity that they had previously enjoyed doing on their own during play time. 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.

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. 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 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. 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:. 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. 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.