Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation

Intro:

Self-Determination Theory is a psychological theory that aims to evaluate the effects intrinsic and extrinsic factors can have on a person’s determination in life. Intrinsic motivational factors are said to be “internal”, for example let’s say “Becky” wants to be the valedictorian of her class because she knows she is capable of doing it and feels that she should always try her best. This type of motivation would classify as intrinsic. If “Becky” was motivated by extrinsic factors, she may want to be the valedictorian because it looks good on an application or because her parents desire it. Both of these types of motivation are prominent, and more often than not, a combination of the two is present. A 40-year meta analysis looking at 9 different meta analyses has backed this up as each method of motivation seems to have its benefit. For example, when incentives are directly linked to performance (i.e. getting a scholarship for being the valedictorian) intrinsic motivation is less important. However, when the incentives are indirectly linked to performance, intrinsic motivation is more important. Now, which one is better when it relates to health and fitness?

Extrinsic Motivation:

The “Revenge Body” has become a social phenomenon as the prevalence of social media and gym culture in general has increased. Whether you got dumped, stood up, called “ugly”, or whatever it may be, the “revenge body” is definitely a huge part of the fitness industry today. So, what are the benefits of this approach to fitness? Using other people or life experiences is honestly a great motivation to get you into the gym. I personally have made some of my biggest fitness gains during times when I was unhappy with a relationship or situation in my life. I felt like some paleolithic beast was released when I walked into the gym, and no amount of work was “good enough” for me. This level of intensity fueled my workouts and my life habits, but something was still missing. Segway into the negative… Getting in better shape after a hurtful/stressful situation is an awesome way to cope, but it doesn’t actually alleviate the hurtful/stressful situation. What I mean by this is, you can’t replace some part of your life with the gym nor can you use it to bandage up wounds. If you do something strictly for the approval of others, sometime, somewhere, you will run out of gas. Unfortunately, life sucks and sometimes so do people. Getting to a point in your fitness journey where you workout because You love it and You want to push yourself to reach Your potential has to be the final goal. Take it from the skinny guy who once upon a time cared too much about what others thought.

Intrinsic Motivation:

People like David Goggins have been taking the internet by storm with their seemingly unreal amounts of self-discipline. Being able to push yourself to the limits day in and day out is a huge cheat code for life. Your motivation is not dependent upon other people or their opinions, you simply demand the best out of yourself because you know that you have the capability to do better. I personally believe that intrinsic motivation is healthier than extrinsic, but there is a huge caveat to this. If you lose this motivation and get into a rut, you can oftentimes lack the accountability of others to get you back on a roll. Also, a person with a high level of intrinsic motivation is more susceptible to perfectionism and may ignore many of their own accomplishments in life because they are so focused on being “perfect”.

Recap:

Overall, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are best when they operate hand-in-hand. There are circumstances where one will outperform the other, but the truth is we need both external rewards to drive us as well as an internal desire to achieve our full potential.

Sources:

Cerasoli, C. P., Nicklin, J. M., & Ford, M. T. (2014). Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives jointly predict performance: a 40-year meta-analysis. Psychological bulletin, 140(4), 980–1008. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035661