Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations: Reward-induced changes in preference for complexity.

Abstract

The following analysis was developed and tested: Individuals may approach an activity with either an intrinsic or an extrinsic motivational orientation. Intrinsic motivational orientations are characterized by preference for activities that are relatively complex, challenging, and entertaining. Extrinsic motivational orientations are characterized by preference for activities that are relatively simple, predictable, and easily completed. The introduction of task-continge nt reward fosters an extrinsic motivational orientation, and this orientation may carry over into subsequent interactions with the activity, even when the conditions that originally fostered that orientation are no longer present. To test this analysis, second-grade subjects in Study 1 played with a novel game of intermediate complexity in one of three conditions: no reward, task-noncontingent reward, or task-contingent reward. Only the latter condition was expected to produce an extrinsic motivational orientation. In a subsequent free-choice period, simple, intermediate, and complex versions of the game, as well as several other activities, were available. As predicted, contingent-reward subjects showed the strongest preference for the simple versions of the game, while no-reward subjects tended to prefer the intermediate version. Task-noncontingent-reward subjects showed a strong preference for the most complex version of the game. In Study 2, using a different task and older subjects, the effects of reward on simple and intermediate-complexity tasks were replicated. Further implications of these findings are discussed.