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Self-regulation is a critical part of motivation and performance, and especially in academics. Marcos had always wanted to earn his college degree, but his college career had been put on hold after he joined the military in his first year of college. Between the demands of the military, deployments, and two new children, his time was pretty limited, and when he did have off time, he found himself tired and wanting to just relax.
Recently, he learned that several of his friends in the military were currently taking college courses online. He had been thinking about this a lot, and figured he could do the same thing, but knew he would need to find the motivation to self regulate because nobody would be making him do this—it would be up to him to find the motivation to succeed.
How can research on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation be used to provide strategies to Marcos to increase his motivation and self-regulatory skills as applied to academic performance?
Reply to classmate 1. This is their initial post:
Jeremiah C.
Marcos and I must be the same person. His story is similar to mine and so many others in the military. Marcos does not need to find motivation as the passage states since he already professed to have it. For reasons unknown, Marcos joined the military after beginning college. We know that he once had been motivated and took necessary action towards initially earning it. Then we see priorities shift through occupational demands, time away from home, and a commitment to family.
This week we touched on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and their varying drivers as part of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a theory that distinguishes between the different types of motivation based on different reasons, or goals that cause action to move to occur (Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L., 2000). Intrinsic motivation is inherent to an individual and is one that pursues certain tasks based off the enjoyment or genuine interest for to doing those tasks (Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L., 2000). For example, I enjoy trail running over road running because I enjoy the adventurous feeling of exploring the woods as if my soul is home when I do. In contrast, extrinsic motivation causes an individual to move to complete an activity because it leads to a separable outcome that has an assessed sense of value and utility to that individual (Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L., 2000). An example here is how I use running on a road or track to improve movement efficiency, increase speed, and reduce the chance of a lower extremity injury when compared to trail running.
By studying the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, we can help our friend Marcos in providing helpful strategies to enable him to achieve his academic goal. We know that Marcos already possesses intrinsic motivation to earn his college degree but will need a push to help him complete his goal from an external source. Looking at influences in Marcos’ life, his military friends serve as a second type of extrinsic motivation known as introjected regulation; a type of internal regulation that allows people to do things based on a sense of pressure due to ego, status, or to avoid feelings of anxiety (Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L., 2000). We can assume another influence in the life of Marcos is for the ability to provide for his family after his military service. Based on how much Marcos assimilates to this task will determine what level of extrinsic motivation he aligns to closest. For example, if Marcos has strong protective and caring qualities as part of his character, he will have the most self-regulating form of extrinsic motivation of integrated regulation to achieve his degree. Integrated regulation occurs when an individual does something based on the near-identical alignment to their core values and of their genuine interest (Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L., 2000). Since Marcos seems to be a natural protector by joining the military, his motivation to get his degree to provide for his family is close to his genuine interest. But if Marcos was a single man and did not have a family, his motivation to get his degree would be different and probably not take shape through integrated regulation. If this were to occur, a new strategy to connect Marcos to his end goal would be required.
Knowing details about an individual’s aspirations, personal journey, and life influences can help providers design appropriate strategies in guiding people towards their goals using by leveraging the natural components of the Self-Determination Theory.
References
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67.
Reply to classmate 2. This is their initial post:
Michelle D.
Research suggests that Marcos can benefit from having both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Ayub, 2010). Intrinsic motivation involves doing something because it is interesting and deeply satisfying. We engage in such activities for the positive feelings they create, which typically lead to optimal performances (Deci & Ryan, 2008). Studies have consistently shown that intrinsic motivation leads to increased persistence, greater psychological well-being, and enhanced performance (Deci & Ryan, 2008). Marcos can try to connect his academic goals with his personal values and interests. For example, he could reflect on how obtaining his college degree aligns with his long-term aspirations and how it may positively impact his life and the lives of his family members.
On the other hand, he can leverage extrinsic motivation by having a type of reward that would boost his desire to complete the task he chooses. While extrinsic motivation can be effective in the short term, research suggests that it may undermine intrinsic motivation if overused or if the rewards are perceived as controlling (Deci, Koestner, & Ryan, 1999). Therefore, Marcos could set up external rewards or incentives for himself, such as allocating dedicated study time, setting specific academic goals, or rewarding himself for achieving milestones.
By combining strategies that tap into both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, Marcos can enhance his motivation and self-regulatory skills, ultimately improving his academic performance.
References:
Ayub, N. (2010). Effect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on academic performance. Pakistan business review, 8(1), 363-372.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Facilitating optimal motivation and psychological well-being across life’s domains. Canadian Psychology, 49(1), 14–23.
Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627-668. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.125.6.627
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