Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation

Two Types of Motivation

Psychology splits motivation into two types based on where the push comes from:

1. Extrinsic motivation. External locus of control. The push comes from outside. Rewards, grades, praise, fear of punishment.
2. Intrinsic motivation. Internal locus of control. The push comes from inside. Curiosity, interest, the sense of growing as a person.

Examples of Extrinsic Motivation

A child studies hard because:

1. The teacher gives grades.
2. The teacher gives badges and stars.
3. Their name will be on the behavior chart.
4. They want a certificate.
5. They want to please the teacher.
6. They want admission marks for being a Scout, NCC trainee, or Girl Guide.

In every case, the driver is outside the child. Take away the external reward and the behavior may stop.

Examples of Intrinsic Motivation

An adult who is already a Vice Chancellor or Principal decides to learn welding, calligraphy, or how to make four-legged poles. There is no promotion attached. No certificate. No salary increase. They learn because they enjoy growing.

A small child takes apart a toy. Not because the toy is bad, but because they want to know what is inside. A toddler insists “I’ll dress myself” because they want to figure out how buttons work.

In both cases, the driver is inside the person.

Flashcard

Locus of control

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Answer

The location of the force that drives behavior. External locus = motivation comes from outside (rewards, grades, fear). Internal locus = motivation comes from inside (curiosity, interest, the desire to grow).

Kohn’s Research

Alfie Kohn researched the relationship between rewards and motivation. Three findings stand out:

Finding 1: Young Children Do Not Need Rewards to Learn

Small children are intrinsically motivated. They are born curious. They peel peas, peel fruits, dress themselves, take toys apart. No reward needed. The drive is already there.

Finding 2: Rewards Are Less Effective Than Intrinsic Motivation

This holds for children and adults. A worker whose salary jumps from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 50,000 will not perform five times better. Performance grows when internal needs are satisfied, not when external pay rises.

If the work itself is frustrating, no salary fixes it. If the work is satisfying, modest pay is enough.

Finding 3: Excessive Rewards Damage Intrinsic Motivation

This is the most important finding for teachers.

A child who loves to read for the pleasure of reading is intrinsically motivated. If you start giving stickers for every book finished, the child starts reading for the stickers. When the stickers stop, the child often stops reading. The original intrinsic motivation has been replaced by extrinsic motivation, which is weaker.

The same pattern shows up everywhere: art that becomes a paid commission, hobbies that become careers, a child’s curiosity that gets crushed by exams. Outside rewards can crowd out inside drive.

Practical Implications for Teaching

Three takeaways:

1. Default to intrinsic motivation. Find what the student already cares about. Build the lesson on that.
2. Use rewards sparingly. Useful for kick-starting a new behavior or for tasks the student would never choose. Risky as a daily habit.
3. Watch what you replace. A child who already likes the subject does not need a reward. Adding one may dilute their natural interest.

A Note on Real Classrooms

Real teaching mixes both types. A teacher cannot run a classroom on pure intrinsic motivation, because the curriculum has tasks no student would choose to do. Some external structure (deadlines, marks, grades) is part of school life.

The skill is in the balance. Use external rewards for the work that does not naturally pull students in. Protect intrinsic motivation everywhere else.

What an intrinsically motivated student looks like

Picture a primary-school girl being asked why she likes school. Her answers, almost in order:

1. “I want to become a doctor for children.”
2. “My teacher Jamra is the best. She has never hit or scolded any child.”
3. “Our school has a big ground where we play.”
4. “There are flowers planted in the garden.”
5. “I won two cups last year, one for studies and one for cleanliness.”
6. “I like science and English.”

What this girl has access to is exactly what intrinsic motivation needs:

1. A reason of her own. She wants to be a doctor for children.
2. Trust in her teacher. Jamra never hit anyone.
3. A safe and beautiful environment. The big ground, the flowers.
4. Recognition. The cups for studies and cleanliness.
5. Subject interest. Science and English.

The school did not have to bribe her. She came in curious and the school protected and grew that. Put the same girl into a school that hits and scolds, has no green space, gives no recognition, and pushes content without engagement, and her interest may be gone by class 5.

The choice between those two schools is the teacher’s choice, every day. Intrinsic motivation is rarely created in school. It usually arrives with the child. The teacher’s job is to keep it alive, and to add the conditions that let it grow.