What is the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation? Extrinsic motivation is the will to perform an activity to earn a reward and/or avoid being punished. Intrinsic motivation is to perform for one’s own sake or to earn personal awards, such as to participate because you enjoy doing that certain activity.

Each type of motivation has different effects on different people’s behavior. According to verywellmind.com, “offering excess external rewards for internally rewarding behavior can reduce intrinsic motivation; this phenomenon is known as the overjustification effect, for example, if a child is rewarded for drawing they are less likely to want to draw for fun in the future.” While being extrinsically motivated is useful in certain situations, it may eventually lose its effectiveness, Intrinsic motivation is typically more long-term effective for achieving goals and completing tasks.

How does extrinsic and intrinsic motivation influence learning? Both play an important role in learning; extrinsic motivation helps students feel more competent in class, which can enhance intrinsic motivation. When you are intrinsically motivated you enjoy doing it, most student-athletes play sports because they love that sport. Haley Wiersma, Class of 2025, said, “Intrinsic motivation is my main motivator because I enjoy playing volleyball, and personally it is very rewarding.” Most students turn in their work on time because they have strict parents and don’t want to get punished for late work, Leilani Yeager, Class of 2025, said, “ My main motivator for getting all my work in on time and doing good on it is not wanting to get grounded.” Some people perform better with either extrinsic or intrinsic motivation, it just depends on the person.