Characteristics Of Extrinsic Motivation

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It is human nature for individuals to have specific goals they want to achieve in their lives. In order to obtain a goal or task, an individual must have the motivation to achieve their goal. The reason individuals are motivated to do specific tasks can be broken down into two theories: Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic Motivation. When an individual completes a task for fun or for the satisfaction of completion, this is an example of Intrinsic Motivation. In contrast, when an individual completes a task for payment or a different type of external reward, the motivation behind this task is considered to be extrinsic.
Though both motivational theories are different by definition, it is nearly impossible to explain one theory without the other. E. Deci (1971) examines the duality of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in his academic article
The dream of moving his house to Paradise Falls originally roots from his wife’s childhood. Carl and Ellie met as children and both shared a common interest of adventure and Charles Muntz. Carl’s motivation for moving the house is the promise he made to Ellie; however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that this motivation is completely Intrinsic or Extrinsic. D. Straker (2013) in his article “Extrinsic Motivation” describes Extrinsic Motivation to be associated with “tangible rewards” and that there are four different categories of Extrinsic Motivation. The final category he describes is Integrated Regulation. He describes this as similar to Intrinsic Motivation, but the source for the motivation is external (Straker, 2013). For Carl, there is no tangible reward for moving his house to Paradise Falls. Since Carl is motivated by an external factor but is not receiving an external reward, it is difficult to pinpoint if this situation is classified as mostly Intrinsic Motivation or Extrinsic

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