Motivation in Psychology: Intrinsic, Extrinsic & Everything In Between

Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviours.

Types of Motivation:

1. Intrinsic Motivation Driven by internal rewards — curiosity, enjoyment, personal satisfaction. Example: Reading psychology because you genuinely find it interesting.

2. Extrinsic Motivation Driven by external rewards — grades, praise, money, avoiding punishment. Example: Studying to get a rank in class.

Theories of Motivation:

Drive Reduction Theory (Hull): Biological needs create drives; behaviour reduces the drive. Hunger (need) → eating (behaviour) → satisfaction (drive reduced).

Incentive Theory: External rewards pull behaviour rather than internal drives pushing it.

Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan): Three innate needs: competence, autonomy, relatedness. When these are met, intrinsic motivation flourishes.

Achievement Motivation (McClelland): The need for achievement (nAch) varies between individuals. High nAch students prefer moderate challenges and take responsibility for outcomes.

For Boards: "Compare intrinsic and extrinsic motivation" is a regular 4-mark question. Maslow's hierarchy also links here — remember to connect theories!