Intrinsic Motivation

Carolyn Morgan & Carol Sansone

Intrinsic motivation occurs when an individual engages in an activity solely because the activity is perceived and experienced as interesting and enjoyable and not because of any external incentive or inducement to do so. Historically, intrinsic motivation has been distinguished from amotivation, which refers to a lack of drive or energy to engage in an activity, and extrinsic motivation, which occurs when someone engages in an activity for some reason other than the sheer interest and enjoyment of the activity. Contemporary models of intrinsic motivation vary in the extent to which they explore the subjective experience of interest and the role it plays in self-regulating behavior. However, all perspectives acknowledge the influence of various situational and individual factors on interest and intrinsic motivation. The integration of these contemporary models with research on emotion, cognitive appraisal, and self-regulation will further advance the applicability of intrinsic motivation research to education, work, and ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.