Intrinsic Motivation
Abstract:
Intrinsic Motivation originates in factors within the person and exists
when engaging in activities for their own sake without expecting
tangible payoff for efforts. It is the inherent tendency to seek out
novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise one’s capacities, to
explore, and to learn.
Although intrinsic motivation generates self-sustaining behavior, it
is not necessarily a self-sustained factor: it may arise in response to
certain stimuli and disappear in presence of some inhibiting factors;
As researches have shown, three psychological needs help to
facilitate and sustain intrinsic motivation:
1. Perceived competence - a feeling of competence and efficacy
during action.
2. Sense of autonomy (self directedness) - a perceived internal
locus of causality, or self-determined behavior.
3. Relatedness (sense of acceptance) - a sense of security, the
immediate contextual support for autonomy and competence.
Teachers:
At the starting point of this program, you find your students well
accustomed to school. They know what class means, what is
expected of them, how they are supposed to behave and how they
mustn’t. In other words, they are familiar with the school’s
framework and regulations. Also, in their minds, the dynamic of
teacher-student relationship is already imprinted.
In most cases and in most schools, students are also used to
behave and perform according to external motivational factors
(reward and encouragement, punishment and prohibition).
What is important for us to understand at this point is that the
process of moving from an external motivation oriented education,
to the intrinsic motivation oriented education, is a “step by step”
process. As such, it requires patience and mutual trust between
students, teachers and even management. Trust, well connected to
each of the three psychological conditions needed for facilitating
intrinsic motivation in class, will act as a main factor in the
implementation.
In order to create or to encourage intrinsic motivation in class, we
suggest you focus on:
1. Managing tasks and projects in class (“what to do”).
2. Conducting a certain atmosphere in class (“how it is being
done”).
Having this in mind, let’s go now over some ways for promoting the
three psychological conditions mentioned above, which are the basic
requirements for intrinsic motivation to flourish.
Perceived Competence: This can be supported by gradual
unveiling of new concepts and breaking tasks to sub-tasks
according to the individual’s progress, i.e. in a pace that is not too
fast or too slow, but optimal for the learner’s ability to understand.
Sense of Autonomy (self directedness): The need for autonomy
can be supported by providing opportunities for self-directedness,
choice, allowing for the expression of interests, encouragement of
reflection and critical thinking, acknowledgment of feelings,
conveyance of respect for the individual’s internal frame of
reference and minimization of psychologically controlling practices
such as conditional regard.
Relatedness (sense of acceptance): Relatedness is supported by
language of acceptance, assessment of actions rather than of the
individual and group reflections (forums, chats, and other
communication tools).
Academic:
Intrinsic Motivation originates in factors within the person and exists
when engaging in activities for their own sake without expecting
tangible payoff for efforts. It is the inherent tendency to seek out
novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise one’s capacities, to
explore, and to learn.
Although intrinsic motivation generates self-sustaining behavior, it
is not necessarily a self-sustained factor: it may arise in response to
certain stimuli and disappear in presence of some inhibiting factors;
likewise it may increase and develop but also diminish and be
suppressed. In short, when taken as a psychological impetus,
intrinsic motivation depends on other factors and contexts and
accordingly may be controlled (Boekaerts & Niemivirta 2000).
Research guided by scientists working in the framework of SelfDetermination Theory (SDT; Ryan and Deci, 2000; Deci & Ryan
2000), specifically by Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET), a subtheory within SDT, has focused on the environmental conditions
(social and contextual) that facilitate and sustain, or inhibit, selfmotivation and healthy psychological development, and specifically
intrinsic motivation, self-regulation and well-being. Those
psychological needs are:
1. Perceived Competence
2. Sense of Autonomy (self directedness)
3. Relatedness (sense of acceptance)
Perceived competence: A feeling of competence and efficacy
during action. This can be supported by gradual unveiling of new
concepts and breaking tasks to sub-tasks according to the learner’s
progress, i.e. in a pace that is not too fast or too slow, but optimal
for the learner’s ability to understand.
Sense of autonomy (self direction): A perceived internal locus
of causality, or self-determined behavior. This need stems from the
strive to feel and perceive that one does (in her life) what one truly
wants to do, that the things one does emanate from one’s true self,
that one can fully endorse what one does, and that one acts with a
sense of choice and not out of external pressure or internal
compulsion created by feelings of shame or guilt. Perceived
autonomy in studying was found to be related to academic
achievement and to deep level processing of learning materials,
including in authoritative societies (Hayamizu, 1997; Tanaka &
Yamauchi, 2000; Yamauchi & Tanaka, 1998). Moreover, autonomy
supportive contexts clearly enhance children’s wellbeing, functioning
and development (e.g. Assor & Kaplan, 2001; Grolnick, Deci &
Ryan, 1997; Reeve, Deci, & Ryan, 2004; Ryan & Deci, 2004; Ryan
& Lynch, 2003). The need for autonomy can be supported by
provision of opportunities for self-directedness, choice, allowance
for the expression of interests, encouragement of reflection and
critical thinking, acknowledgment of feelings, conveyance of respect
for the individual’s internal frame of reference and minimization of
psychologically controlling practices such as conditional regard.
Moreover, teaching in a controlling approach and imposition of goals
diminish learners’ initiative and render learning less effective
especially when learning demands conceptual or creative processing
(Ryan and Deci, 2000).
Relatedness (sense of acceptance): Relatedness is the
immediate contextual support for autonomy and competence — a
sense of security. Proximal relational supports may not be
necessary for intrinsic motivation, but a secure relational base does
seem to be important. Relatedness is supported by language of
acceptance, assessment of actions rather than of the individual, and
group reflections (forums, chats, and other communication tools).
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation#Intrinsic_motivation
General information about motivation & more references
http://www.commerce.virginia.edu/faculty_research/Research/Papers/IMOBH
DP24.pdf
Revisiting Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation / Thomas S. Bateman
http://www.cat.ilstu.edu/additional/tips/intMotiv.php
Encouraging Students' Intrinsic Motivation / Kathleen McKinney (see this for
further research about intrinsic vs. Extrinsic motivation)
At: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/inmotiv.htm
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION DOESN'T EXIST, RESEARCHER SAYS / Jeff
Grabmeier (see this for further research and a different approach)
http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/vockell/EdPsyBook/Edpsy5/Edpsy5_intri
nsic.htm
Further research, suggestions for integrating I.T. in a classroom, a table of
variables promoting I.T
http://www.quoteworld.org/search.php
Quotations about motivation
www.artlex.com/ArtLex/m/motivation.html
Artlex, art dictionary
See this website for more cartoons and art
www.thirdwave-websites.com/bike/index.cfm
Ed's Pittsburgh PA / Beaver County Bicycling Page