How Motivation Type Accounts for Problematic Levels of Pro-Social Engagement Across Domains of Politics, Health, and the Workplace

Abstract

Issues of problematic disengagement have been broadly studied within the domains of politics, health, and the workplace, but rarely studied across these domains. This survey-based experimental study examines the effects of motivation type on levels of engagement within and across these domains. The findings support the hypothesis that intrinsic motivation will produce greater levels of engagement than motivations with more external foundations. The study contributes to the literature by providing support for a greater focus on intrinsic motivation in persuasion efforts across virtually all industries. It also provides a useful measure for assessing engagement levels across domains and scholarly disciplines.