Motivation: intrinsic vs extrinsic (and why rewards can backfire)

Main ideas from the course:

• Intrinsic motivation (interest, curiosity, internal satisfaction) produces deeper, more durable learning.
• Extrinsic rewards (prizes, grades used as carrots) do motivate — but primarily for the reward itself. Promising rewards for a task can reduce intrinsic motivation for that task.
• Unexpected rewards are less harmful than promised ones: surprise praise or an unplanned token after good work is better than “do X and you’ll get Y.”
• Grades are double‑edged: they can motivate externally for insecure students, but they can also be interpreted as punishment by some and severely damage self‑esteem and motivation.

Practical principles:

• Design tasks with cognitive appeal: novelty, relevance, challenge and perceived usefulness boost intrinsic motivation.
• Use autonomy and meaningful choice: let students make real decisions about topics, methods, or products.
• Emphasize mastery goals (improving, understanding) over performance goals (getting the highest grade).
• Use extrinsic rewards sparingly and carefully; prefer unexpected acknowledgments and private, specific praise.

Please take the quiz to proceed: