Understanding the Power of Intrinsic Motivation

What is the Power of Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is the drive to engage in an activity because it is inherently satisfying, rather than for an external reward. According to "Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior With Concept Maps," intrinsic motivation occurs when we act without any obvious external rewards: "We simply enjoy an activity or see it as an opportunity to explore, learn, and actualize our potentials."

Key Elements of Intrinsic Motivation

The three main elements of intrinsic motivation are:

  • Autonomy: The ability to act independently.
  • Purpose: Feeling that one's efforts matter.
  • Mastery: Gaining satisfaction from becoming more skilled.

People are intrinsically motivated when they can act independently, feel that their efforts matter, and gain satisfaction from becoming more skilled.

The Challenge of Uninteresting Tasks

In our jobs, we face activities that don’t naturally interest us or seem boring, irrelevant, uncomfortable, or too difficult. Our brains are designed to conserve energy, rewarding us more for doing so than for expanding ourselves. This explains why we struggle with activities that don’t immediately spark our curiosity or why we get bored over time.

Tapping into Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation allows us to perform at our best. Here are six simple ways to tap into it:

1. Understand the Bigger Picture

When assigned a project or task, it’s typically part of a larger problem or goal. Early in your career, it may be hard to see your contribution's value. Ask questions like:

  • What problem are we solving?
  • How big is the problem?
  • How often does it occur?
  • What negative consequences does it cause?
  • What additional benefits could be gained?
  • How am I contributing to the solution?

These answers help you discover the value you bring.

2. Perform Easy Tasks Right Away

Be action-oriented and complete simple tasks immediately. This approach is about collecting easy wins. Checking items off your to-do list releases feel-good hormones, making tasks more interesting and rewarding, increasing your motivation.

3. Avoid Mindless Repetition

Change your approach to make tasks more interesting. Challenge yourself to execute tasks in less time while achieving the same or better results. This sharpens your mind, improves performance, and ensures continuous improvement.

4. Help Your Colleagues

Participating in inherently rewarding activities taps into intrinsic motivation. Helping others takes a break from your worries and provides energizing feedback. Make it a goal to help a colleague daily. These positive experiences motivate you to share knowledge, making your workday more rewarding and enjoyable.

5. Channel Frustrations into Solutions

Feeling frustrated at work is normal, but letting negative feelings overwhelm you derails intrinsic motivation. Set aside 15 to 30 minutes to reflect when overwhelmed. This helps you decompress healthily and better understand what drives your feelings, equipping you to move forward.

6. Turn Boring Meetings into Learning Opportunities

Meetings can feel irrelevant, but passive participation helps no one. Use the time to your advantage by considering what you can learn from other participants. This turns a boring meeting into a learning opportunity, motivating you to participate and learn something new.

Impact of Extrinsic Reinforcement

Extrinsic motivation involves engaging in a behavior to earn external rewards or avoid punishment. Researchers have discovered that offering external rewards for an already internally rewarding activity can make the activity less intrinsically rewarding, a phenomenon known as the overjustification effect.

According to Richard A. Griggs in "Psychology: A Concise Introduction," a person's intrinsic enjoyment of an activity provides sufficient justification for their behavior. With the addition of extrinsic reinforcement, the person may perceive the task as overjustified and then attempt to understand their true motivation for engaging in the activity.

In work settings, productivity can be increased by using extrinsic rewards such as bonuses. However, the actual quality of the work is influenced by intrinsic factors. If you are doing something that you find rewarding, interesting, and challenging, you are more likely to come up with novel ideas and creative solutions.

Takeaways

Developing intrinsic motivation takes practice. Once we start seeing positive effects, we naturally reinforce these habits and techniques. Growth is a powerful motivator. External rewards have limited appeal, but intrinsic motivation evolves with us, helping develop our incentives to do great work.

References

  1. Coon D, Mitterer JO. Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior With Concept Maps. Wadsworth.
  2. Pink DH. Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us. Reprint, paperback ed. Riverhead Books; 2012.
  3. Levy A, DeLeon IG, Martinez CK, et al. A quantitative review of overjustification effects in persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. J Appl Behav Anal. 2017;50(2):206–221. doi:10.1002/jaba.359
  4. Griggs RA. Psychology: A Concise Introduction. 3rd ed. Worth Publishers.

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