What is the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation?

Extrinsic motivation is driven by external outcomes—such as rewards, money, grades, or approval—whereas intrinsic motivation comes from enjoying or valuing the activity itself. 1

• Extrinsic rewards: They can increase productivity and how much people get done, though the gains are weaker for quality. When an anticipated reward is added to an activity someone already enjoys, it can also shift attention from the activity to the reward and reduce interest once the reward is removed. 1
• Intrinsic motivation: Enjoying the activity can help sustain effort through difficulty: it supports focus and absorption, makes people less likely to give up when facing obstacles, and can help them work longer and think more clearly. 2
• Using extrinsic rewards: Rewards can help someone try a new behavior, but they work best when they don’t feel controlling and don’t crowd out the person’s own reasons for continuing. For example, an incentive might get a child to try a vegetable; the hope is that the child then finds reasons to keep eating it. 3