Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is motivation?
“To be motivated means to be moved to something”. It can be understood in terms of intensity/level (how motivated someone is) and orientation (what type of motivation is driving the behavior)
What are the key differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
Intrinsic motivation: Comes from within; driven by interest, enjoyment, and personal satisfaction from the activity itself.
Extrinsic motivation: Comes from external rewards or punishments; driven by outcomes such as money, recognition, or avoiding penalties.
What are the three psychological needs essential for intrinsic motivation, according to Self-Determination Theory (SDT)?
Autonomy – Feeling of choice and control over one’s actions.
Competence – Feeling capable and effective in one’s work.
Relatedness – Feeling connected and valued by others.
What is the crowding-out effect?
When extrinsic motivators (e.g., bonuses, strict monitoring) reduce intrinsic motivation by diminishing autonomy, competence, or relatedness.
Crowding out undermines intrinsic motives. Blood donors.
Psychologically we say that crowding-out happens when we feel a shift from internal PLOC to external PLOC.
What is the crowding-in effect?
When external motivators (e.g., constructive feedback, recognition) enhance intrinsic motivation by supporting autonomy, competence, or relatedness.
Crowding in supports intrinsic motivation
How can we apply the concept of crowding in/out in the context of PMSP
We ask: how does a given PMS effect an employee’s intrinsic motivation or job satisfaction? Does the system undermine or support their intrinsic motivation?
On one hand measures can diminish your feeling of autonomy, but on the contrary it can give you a sense of control, accomplishment and purpose in the organization.
What is PLOC, and how does it affect motivation?
Perceived locus of causality (PLOC) refers to the extent to which individuals perceive their own actions as a result of either external or internal reasons.
Internal PLOC: People feel they control their own actions (supports intrinsic motivation).
External PLOC: Actions are controlled by external factors (can reduce intrinsic motivation).
When do I take action, and when do I take corrective actions.
When the internal and external PLOC clash it leads to crowding out
How can Performance Measurement Systems (PMS) impact intrinsic motivation?
If PMS supports autonomy, it enhances intrinsic motivation (crowding-in).
If PMS imposes control, it reduces intrinsic motivation (crowding-out).
What two types of motivation does SDT distinguish between?
Autonomous motivation (identified or integrated) and controlled motivation (external and introjected)
How does extrinsic motivation become internalized?
According to the self-determination continuum: Through a process where external regulations become personally meaningful, leading to:
External regulation: Motivated by rewards/punishments.
Introjected regulation: Motivation based on guilt or obligation.
Identified regulation: Personal recognition of importance.
Integrated regulation: Fully internalized, aligns with personal values.
What does internalization refer to?
It’s about the individual’s acceptance and meaning-making of the external regulation (external motivation) of action. What determines whether and how much the regulation is internalized is the extent to which the employee feels that the regulation (e.g. a target) supports autonomy, sense of competence and relatedness
How is internalization and sense of competence related?
PMSP can foster a sense of competence when it helps the individual feel competent e.g. through feedback or performance measures. This relates to the pygmalion picture effect: it is all about perception
What are advantages of intrinsic motivation:
- Freedom to be creative
- Mitigates multi-tasking problem, as the individual are willing to perform the task regardless
- More collaboration, less free-riding
What are disadvantages of relying on intrinsic motivation?
- Difficult to changes one’s intrinsic motivation
- Not inherently value generating
- Creativity can thrive under contraints (frugal innovation)
Define the self-determination theory (SDT)
The theory deals with the orientation of motivation (type): intrinsic and extrinsic. These are separate and interact.
How do financial rewards impact intrinsic motivation?
We see an s-curve:
Small rewards can increase motivation (crowding-in).
Large rewards can reduce intrinsic drive (crowding-out).
If rewards align with personal goals, they can support motivation.
If rewads are high enough crowding-in happens again - relative price effect.
