Motivation
Physical Education: AQA GCSE, topic 6.3.2
Motivation
Motivation is the drive or desire to achieve something. Motivation can be split into 2 categories:
Intrinsic motivation
- Intrinsic motivation comes from within a performer.
- Performers have internal motivation to achieve self-satisfaction, pride or personal achievement.
- E.g. someone may experience enjoyment from playing cricket.
Extrinsic motivation
- Extrinsic motivation comes from an external source.
- A performer wants to succeed because of external rewards from a competition, coach, peer or family member:
- Tangible rewards (can touch them): certificates, trophies, medals and money.
- Intangible rewards (can't touch them): praise, positive feedback or applause from the crowd.
Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is widely accepted as the more effective source of motivation in the long-term. However, it is often the case that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are present at the same time.
Intrinsic motivation
- Research shows that intrinsic motivation is much more powerful than extrinsic motivation.
- A performer who is playing for pride or because they enjoy something is more likely to stick at it than a performer who only plays for rewards.
Extrinsic motivation
- Too many extrinsic rewards can decrease the value of intrinsic motivation.
- Performers can get carried away with extrinsic rewards and forget that they play for pride, fun and self-satisfaction.
Test yourself on Motivation
What are the 2 categories of rewards in extrinsic motivation?
Which motivation source does research show to be more effective in the long-term?