Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: Time for Expansion and Clarification

The goal of this article was to provide a long-overdue clarification and upgrade to what has been called the intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy in the realm of motivation. We argue that the concept of intrinsic motivation should be limited to referring to the pleasure gained from an activity, divorced from any further elements. It means liking the doing. The term has been confounded with a different type of motivation, which is properly labeled achievement motivation and which refers to competition against some standard of excellence (subconscious or conscious). Achievement motivation means wanting to do well. One can like doing something and not care about how well one does it. Conversely, one can strive to do well even if one does not like an activity. The 3rd type of motivation, known as extrinsic motivation, has been focused heavily on the effect of withdrawing a monetary incentive. We argue that this focus is far too narrow and that extrinsic motivation should be generally defined as doing something as a means to an end. It means doing something now in order to get something later. Nor should money be regarding as "controlling," because people routinely make many choices in the realm of money. We suggest a research program on the 3 types of motivation, their possible interrelationships, and their outcomes. We hope to spark a discussion and invite comments on this article.