Navigation
Exploring why we do things for the pure joy of the activity itself, such as hobbies and creative interests.
Have you ever been so busy drawing, gaming, or building something that you completely forgot to eat lunch? Why do we work so hard on things even when no one is paying us or giving us a grade?
In psychology, motivation is the 'why' behind our actions. We generally split this into two categories. Extrinsic motivation is like a carrot on a stick; you do something to get a reward (like a grade) or avoid a punishment. Intrinsic motivation, however, is the 'fire within.' It is the drive to engage in an activity because it is inherently satisfying or fun. When you are intrinsically motivated, the activity itself is the reward. Think of a hobby you'd do even if you were the last person on Earth—that is your intrinsic drive in action.
Quick Check
If you practice the piano because you love the way the music sounds, is that intrinsic or extrinsic motivation?
Answer
Intrinsic motivation, because the satisfaction comes from the activity itself, not an outside reward.
Why do some things feel so rewarding? Psychologists suggest we have three basic needs that fuel intrinsic motivation: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness.
1. Autonomy is the feeling that you are in control of your choices. 2. Competence is the feeling of getting better at something or mastering a challenge. 3. Relatedness is the sense of belonging or connecting with others through the activity. When an activity hits all three, your 'inner fire' burns the brightest.
Consider a student learning a new trick on a skateboard: 1. Autonomy: They chose to go to the park today on their own. 2. Competence: They finally land a 'kickflip' after 20 tries, feeling a surge of mastery. 3. Relatedness: They high-five a friend who saw the trick. Result: The student stays for another hour because they are intrinsically motivated.
Quick Check
Which of the three ingredients refers to the feeling of 'getting better' at a skill?
Answer
Competence
Have you ever heard an athlete say they were 'in the zone'? Psychologists call this Flow. Flow is a state of deep immersion where time seems to disappear. It happens when there is a perfect balance between the Challenge of the task and your Skill level. If the task is too easy, you get bored. If it's too hard, you get anxious. Flow lives in the middle. We can represent this balance simply as:
When you are in Flow, you aren't thinking about rewards or what others think; you are simply 'one' with the activity.
Game designers use the Flow concept to keep you playing: 1. Level 1: Low challenge, low skill. You learn the buttons. 2. Level 10: Medium challenge, medium skill. You feel 'in the zone.' 3. The Boss Fight: High challenge. If your skill is also high (), you enter a state of Flow to win.
Imagine you are writing a complex story. To maintain Flow, you must: 1. Increase the complexity of the plot as your writing skills improve. 2. If you hit 'writer's block' (Challenge > Skill), you must practice or brainstorm to raise your skill back to the level of the challenge. 3. If the story becomes predictable (Skill > Challenge), you must add a plot twist to keep yourself engaged.
Which of these is an example of extrinsic motivation?
According to the Flow concept, what happens if the Challenge is much higher than your Skill?
Autonomy means the feeling that you are forced to do something by someone else.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, try to remember the three 'ingredients' of intrinsic motivation (A, C, and R).
Practice Activity
Pick one hobby you love. Identify which of the three needs (Autonomy, Competence, or Relatedness) it satisfies most for you.