Extrinsic motivation on the other hand is external to the individual – it involves motivators such as rewards (money, praise), competition or fear of punishment. Examples of extrinsically motivated activities include studying for a test in order to receive good grades, completing work-related tasks out of fear of reprimand from your employer, or competing in a marathon after receiving a financial incentive. I have personally undertaken two activities driven by intrinsic motivation: learning how to play guitar and getting involved in theatre performances. I chose these two activities because I found them enjoyable; I was interested in exploring the artistry behind music composition and wanted to gain experience performing on stage through live theatre productions. By engaging in these activities, I felt creative satisfaction and personal fulfilment which only serves to strengthen my desire to continue pursuing them both. I have also personally undertaken two activities driven by extrinsic motivation: enrolling into university courses with the goal of attaining a degree certification, and completing job-related tasks due to fear of reprimand from my employer. These were both chosen for practical reasons; obtaining an education was necessary for me to succeed professionally while satisfying my manager's requests allowed me to avoid consequences (such as being fired). In comparison with intrinsic forms of motivation which evoke positive feelings stemming largely from inner sources, these types of motivations evoked feelings more related with obligation than joy or enthusiasm. In my opinion, intrinsic motivation is ultimately more powerful than extrinsic motivation – this idea has been supported by various research studies over time showing that when individuals perform tasks they enjoy they tend to do so at higher levels than those who are externally incentivized with rewards alone [1]. In addition to this improved performance output however, intrinsic motivations also bring about greater psychological benefits including increased levels self-esteem and positive affect which can’t be attained simply through offering tangible rewards [2]. Furthermore studies show that people who engage regularly in intrinsically motivated behaviors often remain engaged longer than those participating out of mere external incentives [3], thus providing further evidence for its importance relative extrinsic motivators . Ultimately then we can see that although there are situations where extrinsic motivations may be warranted such as when short term goals need achieving quickly - overall it appears that when given the choice between them you should opt for intrinsic motivations whenever possible if you want long lasting results along with optimal physical & mental well-being . References: [1] Deci EL., Ryan RM., 1985 Intrinsic Motivation & Self Determination Theory In Educational Psychology Review 3(4): pp 57–75 [2] Grolnick WS., 2003 The Psychology Of Parental Control: Understanding & Reforming Practices New York Randall McGraw Hill       Publishing Company pp 16-20 [3] Amabile TM., 1996 Creativity In Context Colorado Westview Press

Sample Solution

  Intrinsic motivation is defined as motivation that comes from within an individual, and is typically associated with activities or tasks one finds interesting and enjoyable. Examples of intrinsically motivated activities are learning a new skill such as painting, writing poetry or playing chess.