Which statement best describes intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation?

• A. Intrinsic motivation arises from interest or value in the task; extrinsic motivation arises from external rewards.
• B. Intrinsic motivation is only for young students; extrinsic is for adults.
• C. Intrinsic motivation is about grades; extrinsic about autonomy.
• D. Extrinsic motivation cannot be cultivated in classrooms.

Answer: (A)

Intrinsic motivation comes from doing something because it is interesting, enjoyable, or personally valuable, while extrinsic motivation comes from outside the task—rewards, recognition, or the desire to avoid punishment. In practice, you can study a topic because it fascinates you (intrinsic), or you can study to earn a good grade or praise (extrinsic). The statement that best captures this is that intrinsic motivation arises from interest or value in the task, and extrinsic motivation arises from external rewards.

Other ideas are not as accurate: intrinsic motivation isn’t limited to young students; people of all ages can be intrinsically motivated. And while intrinsic and extrinsic are different, they aren’t simply about grades versus autonomy, since autonomy can support intrinsic motivation and grades are a form of external reward. Finally, extrinsic motivation can indeed be cultivated in classrooms through well-designed rewards, feedback, and recognition.