Intrinsic Motivation: The Chance To Enjoy Your Time

As humans, we are naturally curious. We like to feel something and pursue goals. There is intrinsic motivation in all of us, the desire to overcome obstacles (sometimes these are obstacles that we create for ourselves, or that others place at our feet so that we learn, or to annoy us), and be rewarded or stimulated. turn into. That’s just how we are as humans. At least, most of us.

But what makes us like this? Why do we pursue certain goals? Where do we get the strength to achieve these goals? Why do we manage to achieve some goals and leave others for what they are? Why do some people persist when other people give up, even with the same negative result…? We may also wonder why some people climb to the top of Everest, even though they risk their lives doing so.

Or what if we read a crime novel and the detective interrogates the witnesses and suspects of a crime? Some of the questions that need to be answered in order to find out who committed the crime are what were the causes of the crime or why did the killer behave this way? The answers will lead us to the “motive” behind the crime.

One of the keys to answering these questions is about motivation. Fascinating, right? Now think how motivation, good motivation, can be just the right support to move mountains. It is everything that gives you courage or takes it away from you, everything that makes you a coward or a hero.

What is motivation?

We can define motivation based on three things: having a goal, deciding to achieve it, and making the effort to make it a reality. Motivation is the motive that initiates, sustains, and guides a person to help him achieve certain goals. We have many different names for it: self-love, fighting spirit and willpower. It can be an energy that moves you, or it can be an anchor that keeps you in place.

Motivation is a psychological construct that we cannot see, but we can recognize it by its external manifestations. It is the process that explains the intensity, direction, and persistence of one’s efforts to achieve a particular goal.

What are the characteristics of motivation?

We can recognize motivation by the following behavior :

• It is proactive and committed to a specific goal that the person wants to achieve.
• It is strong and persistent – people expend a lot of energy trying to achieve a goal they set themselves, and overcome the obstacles they encounter along the way.

• The  motives behind it are organized hierarchically. There are some motives that have to do with survival, and others that have more to do with personal growth.
• Motives can be obvious or inexplicable, conscious or unconscious. We are not always aware of the motivations behind our behavior.
• Motives can be extrinsic or intrinsic. A person who works in a car factory can be motivated by making money or improving his reputation with his boss. This behavior stems from an extrinsic motivation, as external factors help him to perform his tasks. Intrinsic motivation means that you do something out of interest or because you like it. In the case of the car factory worker, it can be a sense of competence or mastery.
• Extrinsic motivation comes from outside, from someone or something that can create that motivation. Behavior that is motivated by external factors does not happen by itself. It happens for the external reward attached to it. For example, when a student’s parents promise him a gift if he achieves a certain grade.

• Intrinsic motivation is when someone wants to do something for themselves. A person with intrinsic motivation has an internal energy that drives him to take charge and be successful. Think of the student who sees his exam as a way to reflect on what he has already learned and to learn more about it.

Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation can be defined very simply as a motivation naturally associated with certain behaviors. The motive is therefore inherent in the activity itself. That is, it is the act itself that moves you to do something.

The motives that lead to performing a certain action or task are hidden in you and the activity itself. Therefore, this kind of behavior is considered to be inherent to each person’s personal motivation. For example, when you spend time on a specific hobby or when you do an activity to give yourself a challenge.

We can usually see this most clearly in the sports world. But we can also see it when we are personally motivated to complete a project that is very valuable to us. Even if others think that the project is not really of much use. Think of all those people who like to cook for themselves.

The three best sources of intrinsic motivation

There are many different sources of intrinsic motivation. And so we are now going to focus on the three most important ones:

The need to perform

The intrinsic motivation to perform has a lot to do with an impulse to overcome things. It is the urge to perform a task because of the pleasure it provides. And because it can ensure that you develop or perfect certain skills. From there you make way for a sense of competence.

People with a strong need to perform share these characteristics :

• They are innovative and enterprising.
• They strive for excellence or professional success and rely on their efforts.
• They often tend to pursue their goals continuously.

The need to belong

This is the interest people have in building and maintaining positive emotional relationships with others. The people who have this need usually strive for social contact. In addition, they tend to participate in large or small groups and do not like to be alone.

People who have a strong need to belong share the following characteristics :

• Their relationships tend to be better and more emotionally positive than people with little need to belong.
• These are people who need constant care and affection that makes them feel special.
• They are usually very afraid of social rejection and are constantly striving for acceptance from their group. So this means they tend to do things that they think the group will enjoy.
• They tend to avoid conflict at all times.
• They often prefer cooperative environments over competitive environments.
• They are usually not very successful at managerial tasks that require the ability to lead.

The need for self-actualization

The psychologist Abraham Maslow was the first person to define this need or group of needs. Self – realization is an ideal goal that all people want to achieve.

You can meet this need through opportunities to fully develop your talent and potential and express knowledge and ideas. Or you can grow and develop into a great person. Maslow thought that people could achieve total self-actualization when they felt fulfilled.

Whether we add another subtype or not, we know that  intrinsic motivation tends to be very consistent over time as well. That’s because it has more to do with personal characteristics than personal circumstances. And intrinsic motivation is more general than extrinsic motivation because we can satisfy it in many different ways.

Bibliography

Bandura, A. y Walters, R. (1963) Social learning and personality development. New York. Holt, Rhinehart and Winston.