The Psychology of What Motivates Us

Different types of motivation are frequently described as being either extrinsic or intrinsic:

• Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition, or praise.
• Intrinsic motivations are those that arise from within the individual, such as doing a complicated crossword puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem.2

There are three major components of motivation: activation, persistence, and intensity.3

• Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a psychology class.
• Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist.
• Intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal.

Understanding motivation can:

• Help improve the efficiency of people as they work toward goals
• Help people take action
• Encourage people to engage in health-oriented behaviors
• Help people avoid unhealthy or maladaptive behaviors such as risk-taking and addiction
• Help people feel more in control of their lives
• Improve overall well-being and happiness