Comparing and Contrasting Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation
Motivation refers to the factors that influence behavior. The factors may be emotional, social, or biological, among other categories. The two primary forms of motivation are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is a motivation brought about by the urge to do a particular task for the sake of enjoyment or that it has some direct benefits. In contrast, extrinsic motivation is the motivation to do a particular task due to an external influence or brought about by the urge to meet an external target or with the fear of a negative outcome. They both have a huge role to play in motivating and sustaining creativity. Some individuals are more likely to be intrinsically motivated to perform a task voluntarily than being subjected to external influence. Therefore, both types of motivation are most likely to influence an individual’s creativity, as elaborated in this essay.
Intrinsic motivation plays a vital role in promoting creativity. The sense of creativity increases more in an individual through self-motivation (Steele et al. 104). One of the most conspicuous aspects of intrinsic motivation is the sense of self-determination. Someone may exhibit more creativity whenever they feel motivated mainly by the interest, challenge of the task, satisfaction, enjoyment, and not through pressures from outside. Therefore, intrinsic motivation improves creativity and positively promotes it within an individual. Most adults are most likely to be motivated by doing something self-driven rather than being forced to do it due to some external factors.
On the other hand, extrinsic motivation in most cases is influenced by external pressures on completing tasks, undertaking assignments, or even working towards a goal. Some of the most evident extrinsic motivation forms include having deadlines and being paid to do a specific job. Set deadlines usually compile a lot of pressure on someone, especially when performing tasks. One must ensure that they work out everything possible to meet these deadlines. Being paid to do a particular job builds up motivation in an individual since they know that at the end of the job, they will receive their pay. This motivation is brought about by the need to settle personal bills and finance one’s lifestyle. Having unexpected rewards unleashes creativity from within. Everyone would strive to have better and more unique outcomes than the others with the hopes of better returns (Boer 19). Being in a position to be evaluated after performing a task would also make someone more creative.
Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation have a broader impact on motivating and sustaining creativity. They both work differently to spell out the creativity in an individual from extreme ends. Intrinsic motivation would require someone to gain self-motivation to be much creative, while extrinsic motivation needs external pressure to make someone unleash their form of creativity. In the end, they both motivate and sustain creativity which has to be triggered by a factor that is either internal or external to be showcased.
Works Cited
BAER, JOHN. “Gender Differences in the Effects of Extrinsic Motivation on Creativity*.” The Journal of Creative Behavior, vol. 32, no. 1, Mar. 1998, pp. 18–37, 10.1002/j.2162-6057.1998.tb00804.x. Accessed 27 Aug. 2019.
Steele, Logan M., et al. “Intrinsic Motivation and Creativity: Opening up a Black Box.” Handbook of Research on Leadership and Creativity, pp. 100–130, 10.4337/9781784715465.00013.