4 types of extrinsic motivation to use in your education 🔭

Have you ever been assigned homework that you really don’t want to do? The homework wasn't hard. You just didn’t feel like doing it.

So you reminded yourself that your teacher expected you to get it done and you want to be seen as responsible. Since your intrinsic motivation was low, you tapped into extrinsic motivation to finish your homework.

This is just one type of extrinsic motivation you can leverage in your education!

The two motivation types you’ve likely heard of are “extrinsic” and “intrinsic” motivation. We'll use Ryan and Deci's definitions from their self-determination model which is also summarized at PositivePsychology.

• Extrinsic motivation is based on expecting rewards or punishment. These can either concrete (ex. a prize) or abstract (ex. a sense of accomplishment).

• Intrinsic motivation solely involves enjoying an activity. The only reward comes from the joy of the activity.

Extrinsic Motivation

• Originates from external sources

• Motivation comes from the anticipation of rewards or punishment

• For example: studying to get a good grade, to make your teacher proud, or because it will help you get the career you want

Intrinsic Motivation

• Originates from internal sources

• Motivation comes from enjoying something

• For example: reading a book you love or going for a run because it feels good

There are 4 extrinsic motivation types that you can leverage. Some types feel more personal and meaningful (almost like intrinsic motivation) even if you don’t actually enjoy the task.

The four extrinsic motivation types vary by how much they tap into your autonomy (independence) and feelings of self-determination (ability to make your own decisions).

External Regulation

• Doing something for an external reward

• Doing something to avoid punishment

Introjected Regulation

• Doing something due to a sense of responsibility

• Wanting to avoid feelings of guilt if you don’t do something

Regulation through Identification

• Doing something because you recognize it’s a valuable thing to do

• Doing something because it will get you closer to your future goals

Integrated Regulation

• Doing something because it matches your values and sense of self

• This is very close to intrinsic motivation but can be applied to tasks that aren't always enjoyable

Quiz

Consider the following examples:

A. You donate a lot of canned goods because your class will get a pizza party if you donate the most.

B. You volunteer for a hospital while you're an undergraduate student because it's important to you to help your community.

C. You clean your dishes right away because you don't want your roommates to have to clean up your mess.

D. You turn in a wallet that contains $200 into the lost and found because you see yourself as an honest person and it's the right thing to do.

So what does extrinsic motivation look like in your education? Let’s take studying. You might study for your exam because:

External Regulation

• You want to get an A and be considered intelligent

• You’re afraid of getting an F and looking stupid

Regulation through Identification

• Studying and getting passing grades is valuable because it will help you graduate

• Studying this topic will give you a good foundation for more complex topics in the future

Introjected Regulation

• You view school as your job and studying is part of that responsibility

• You don’t want to let your parents down by not doing well

Integrated Regulation

• Working hard is one of your values and you take pride in it

• You want to be as educated as possible so you can make a positive contribution to the world

A Personal Example

When I was between my first and second year of college, I worked in a lab and found I didn't love the work as much as I thought I would. I had to tap into my extrinsic motivation to keep myself from quitting.

• I leaned into introjected regulation. I felt responsible for seeing my commitment through and didn't want my boss to think badly of me.

• I saw the value in sticking with the job and seeing if I really hated it or if I was just struggling with learning brand new skills. This was regulation through identification.

Since we can't be intrinsically motivated 100% of the time, all of us have to leverage extrinsic motivation. It's important to know the benefits and pitfalls so you can maximize the benefits and minimize the pitfalls of leaning on extrinsic motivation.

Benefits

• You can find motivation for tasks you don’t enjoy

• You can use other people’s expectations to help you stay accountable

• "Regulation through identification" or "integrated regulation" can help you be persistent and resilient when intrinsic motivation and enjoyment are low

Pitfalls

• You might not care about the reward for a task, and then choose to ignore the task

• You could put in the bare minimum effort to receive a reward

• You could get burned out if you rely on fear of failure or punishment

It's natural to not always feel excited or interested in everything you have to do. Even your favorite activities can sometimes feel like a chore! In your education, tap into your extrinsic motivation. Some examples include:

• Setting a reward for yourself that you can have after you finish homework or studying (external regulation)

• Telling friends and family about larger projects so you feel a sense of responsibility to finish them (introjected regulation)

• Reminding yourself you want to be the kind of person who sees their commitments through to the end (identification)

• Connecting the task to your long-term career goals and tap into the excitement you feel about someday working in that field (integrated)

There's a lot more to learn about motivation, including how you can use it to stay disciplined and focused on your education.