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What Is External Motivation and How Does It Work?

What Is External Motivation and How Does It Work?
Personal Development Motivation External Motivation
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Last Update: 01/06/2025
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"Water! I need water!” shouted Tommy, my friend. He choked and writhed in his chair while the rest of us sat there laughing at him. Everyone in the restaurant turned to see what was going on. It was improper for us to make fun of someone else's misfortune. Obviously, he was in trouble, and we did not ignore the situation. It was not like what you thought.

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Author Photo Editorial Team
Last Update: 01/06/2025
clock icon 6 Minutes Motivation
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Note: This article is based on the personal experience of Rick Ornelas, who shares his personal experience with extrinsic motivation.

Tommy was a victim of external motivation, as he brought misfortune upon himself by bragging about his ability to eat wasabi sauce. He boasted so much that it was the catalyst for the well-known sauce-eating challenge. The challenge was to finish a full scoop of our dishes' wasabi sauce at once. Tommy was bragging so much that we had to challenge him.

We acknowledged the challenge's terms. Tommy refused to give up; he waited for us to set the bar higher because he knew we would do more and wouldn't give up. The next sensible thing that would have happened in such circumstances would have been for us to pool our meager funds and make him an offer he couldn't refuse. 

I said, “We'll give you 20 dollars if you eat the whole scoop of wasabi and don't throw up.”

He replied: “Agreed.”

By calculating the amount of money he would receive if he won the challenge, we determined the level of his external motivation. At the time, it was still unclear how the challenge would turn out, but his enthusiasm for the money was the only thing certain, whether he succeeded or failed.

Neurons are involved in what occurred in eighteen-year-old Tommy's brain. It can be made clear by outlining the function of a brain circuit known as the “reward system.”

Our Brain's Reward System

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that connects neurons in various brain regions, forming the reward system and processing actions linked to earning it, ultimately driving behavior. These dopamine-releasing neurons are activated when we expect to receive a reward. Dopamine also reinforces memories related to these rewards.

Emotional reactions and memories are largely influenced by the expectation of rewards, not by the rewards themselves. In this sense, learning happens when we encounter something unexpected; that is when the reward we receive is not what we had anticipated. If the reward is greater than expected, dopamine levels increase. If the reward is less than expected, dopamine levels decrease.

Tommy's expectations for himself and the typical teenage vanity were causing a significant release of dopamine in his system. Arrogant teens aren't the only ones who always make silly decisions. The decision-making process, which is affected by emotion, changes with age. Adolescents might engage in risky behavior because their brains are still developing and because they long for acceptance among their peers. Because of the aging-related decline in prefrontal cortex function, older adults are also more likely to make risky decisions.

 External Motivation

What Is External Motivation and How Does It Work?

Now that we've explained how Tommy's brain works, let's take a more in-depth look at the matter to help you understand where it comes from and how it affects your life.

The American Psychological Association defines external motivation and how it works as follows:

  • External motivation: It is an external incentive that prompts you to participate in a particular activity, especially that motivation arising from the expectation of punishment or reward, such as saying, “I want to get this promotion to make more money,” or, as happened in Tommy’s case, “I want twenty dollars. So I'll eat this wasabi sauce."
  • Conversely, internal motivation refers to the desire to engage in an activity based on the enjoyment of the activity itself rather than potential external benefits, such as saying, “I will work hard to get this promotion to be happier at my job,” or as happened in the case of Tommy “I will eat this wasabi sauce because I enjoy the flavor.”
  • The above example was a clear case of external motivation. Tommy was motivated by the financial reward that led him to participate in an activity in which he would not normally participate.
  • External motivation: It is behavior that is driven by an external reward. It is a form of operant conditioning, a learning technique that links an action to its outcome using reward and punishment principles. Depending on the outcome, the behavior is either reinforced or prevented.

The learning method was defined by psychologist Burrhus Frederick Skinner, who postulated that the likelihood of an action being repeated is determined by its consequences. This implies that one would be more likely to repeat the behavior for which they are rewarded and encouraged and less likely to engage in the behavior for which they are punished. In Tommy's bet, the reward that reinforced his behavior was his expectation of receiving money.

Developing External Motivation

What was the source of Tommy's behavior? We have learned from every circumstance since we were young, from our teachers, parents, friends, and the community. This usually happens by imitating behavior, as all social species do. We are constantly affected, whether we realize it or not.

Tommy knew that he could be rewarded for his behavior at some point in his past. Maybe his monthly allowance planted the seed of his motivation, or maybe it was the dollar he received each time he turned in an essay and received a perfect score. These things have a long-term effect. 

We've included some youthful-inspired examples below to assist you in creating a distinct picture from Tommy's.

Tangible external rewards:

  • Participating in sports games for prizes or rewards.
  • Cleaning your room to avoid your parents screaming.
  • Competing to win a scholarship or prize.
  • Studying because you want a good grade in class.

Psychological external rewards:

  • Doing charity work to attract attention.
  • Helping a classmate get praise from the teacher.
  • Doing something to avoid others judging you.

External motivations continue to play a role in our lives as we develop and grow. Work is one of the areas where we see this influence most. Many of you who are reading this article recall your teenage employment experiences. It would be the same if you worked in a mall or a fast-food restaurant. One benefit of working is receiving a salary each month. If you don't remember your first employment contract, you must remember receiving your first paycheck.

Getting a salary and having money in your pocket to spend on yourself and your desires meant independence. Gaining this independence is a crucial stage of development in these formative years, as it is an element that will have an impact that will last for years to come.

The financial impact remains clear when young people start choosing their careers. Many people would rather have a high-paying job than one that they are more passionate about or even love. These people are driven by external motivators. Tommy was not yet ready to make a career decision, so he looked for money wherever he could.

 External Motivation

Financial rewards are one of the greatest sources of external motivation in society these days, but they are not the only type of motivation. Rewards or other incentives often provide great motivation and come in different forms. Encouragement, praise, or fame can be considered motivations in certain circumstances. These are motivations taken from our youth years. We all remember the excitement we felt from winning a golden star for doing our homework or from waving to the crowd when we gave an excellent performance on stage or in the field.

External motivation - whether financial or otherwise - can play an important role in our work and life.

Read also: 3 Ways for Women to Turn Fear of Failure into Motivation for Action

External Motivation Strength

When we compare external and internal motivations, it seems that external motivations are more effective in our reward-based societies. Is the phrase "carrot and stick principle" familiar to you? (or the reward-punishment principle, which is a metaphor for using a combination of rewards and punishments to induce desired behavior.)

In 1964, psychologist Victor Vroom developed what he called expectancy theory to explain how external motivation works. Based on his research, he concluded that external motivation requires three important elements to motivate individuals truly:

1. Expectation

It means believing in the ability to get the reward. People have different expectations and levels of confidence about what they can do.

2. Tool

The possibility that there will be a reward, in reality, is a way to express sensory perception.

3. Valence

It means the depth of desire for rewards.

Read also: Top 12 Motivational Theories for Professional and Personal Success

It is important to note that Victor Vroom's research was conducted with company employees, so it is not a one-size-fits-all theory. However, the truth is that a lot of us, like my eighteen-year-old friend, will participate in an activity because of the potential reward.

You might be wondering how Tommy did on the wasabi sauce bet. Let's just say he got really tired and didn't ask for the $20.

Disclaimer: This article is not allowed to be copied as it is or used anywhere else under legal liability. However, paragraphs or parts of it can be used after obtaining official approval from Annajah Net administration.

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