Definition
Extrinsically motivated behavior refers to behavior that is performed because of rewards that are external to a person.
Description
Motivation speaks to the issue of why a behavior occurs, or the reasons why certain behaviors are performed in lieu of others. Extrinsic motivation ascribes these reasons to external forces or rewards. Thus, behavior that occurs because of the external rewards that are involved are said to be extrinsically motivated. Completing a task for money, recognition/praise, or to avoid punishment are common examples of extrinsically motivated behavior. In these cases, the behavior occurs because of the external rewards, not because of some unseen, unverifiable intrinsic value of the task [1]. Virtually everything that humans do is, in some way, related to the outcomes of their behavior. Even behaviors that seemingly have no immediate external consequence or reward may continue...
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References
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Watson, S.T., Davis, D. (2011). Extrinsically Motivated Behavior. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1078
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1078
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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