Once that motivator disappeared, they no longer had the desire to play in the lot. However, once the man started paying them, their motivator became the money. At first, the children played in the lot for the enjoyment of it. This story is a good example of changing intrinsic to extrinsic. The children responded by refusing to play in the “stinking” lot if he wasn’t going to pay them.

A few days more passed, and he approached them with an apology telling them that he wouldn’t be able to pay them anymore but hoped that they would still play in the lot anyway. They grumbled a little but agreed to take the $1. After a few days, he told them he couldn’t afford to pay the $5 but asked if they would accept $1. They thought he was a little nuts but were thrilled to be paid to do something they did anyway. One day he told them that he would pay each of them $5 every day they came to the lot. The old man, annoyed by all the commotion, created a plan to stop the children from using the lot. Every afternoon children would play baseball in the lot.

You may have heard the story about the old man who lived next to an empty lot. You may even work towards a long-term reward such as participating in a competition, but the primary motivator is internal. You strive towards a goal for personal satisfaction. Intrinsic, however, is an internal form of motivation.

In fact, this example includes two extrinsic motivators: your boss’s expectations and the bonus. For example, if your boss sets a deadline and your bonus is tied to it, that is a very clear form of extrinsic motivation. What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?Įxtrinsic motivation is an external form of motivation. They are not necessarily more intelligent, or have better ideas they are just able to pursue a goal to its conclusion. If you examine successful people, one of the main differences is their ability to motivate themselves. Without the development of intrinsic motivation, individuals have a great deal of difficulty achieving success. That is the inability to achieve the desired goal unless someone else provides the momentum to pursue them. “I have so many great ideas if only I could get motivated.” “I do well with deadlines, but I can’t seem to motivate myself.” “I can’t seem to lose weight unless I have someone constantly checking on me and I can’t afford a personal trainer.” “I would perform better if I could make myself practice more.”ĭo any of these statements sound familiar? These are commonly the individual’s need for extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic vs intrinsic motivation hbr