Intrinsic Motivation: What Drives Us from Within

By Jessica Jordan, MS. OTR/L

What Is Intrinsic Motivation?

Intrinsic motivation is a powerful concept in both education and therapy— it refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards. In other words, the motivation to engage in a behavior arises from within the individual because it is personally meaningful and naturally satisfying.

The Power of Student Voice in IEP Meetings

As a school-based occupational therapist, I see intrinsic motivation come into question so very often. Whether it is for a treatment session or when the IEP team is determining a student's goals and level of service.

For the first time ever as an OT practitioner, during the pandemic, I saw students be more involved in their IEP process. Many of my students I worked with sat in on their virtual IEP meetings from home, offering their perspective. I was able to share their progress with them, their parents/guardians/learning coaches, and the rest of the team. At times, it was actually quite playful to speak directly to my students, asking them about their progress in front of the team.

In previous years, this hasn’t been the case, as students are not always present for these meetings. I felt as if this was pivotal because parents specifically got to see what intrinsically motivates their child (i.e., writing vs mathematics, etc.) because the students were able to voice it themselves during the meeting.

Building the Occupational Profile

As an occupational therapist at SUNRISE Therapies, this is what we strive to focus on—to get to know you as an individual and family FIRST. In occupational therapy, this is coined as the term “the occupational profile.” The occupational profile is a summary of a client’s (person’s, group’s, or population’s) occupational history and experiences, patterns of daily living, interests, values, needs, and relevant contexts (AOTA, 2017a). With that information known, we target those goals that YOU are intrinsically motivated to reach.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation in Early Childhood

In pediatric occupational therapy, we know that meaningful engagement starts with internal drive. So often, intrinsic motivation is forgotten about, and extrinsic rewards or incentives are used to enhance or maintain a student’s interest in activities that were initially exciting or valuable to the child.

I heard about a study done with preschoolers, and it immediately drew my attention as I primarily work with preschoolers in my school-based OT position.

In a study by Lepper et al. (1973), preschool students (who were previously determined to be intrinsically motivated by drawing) were told to draw a picture and, in turn, would receive a ribbon/award. This went on for several weeks. There was also a group of preschoolers who did not receive an award, and those who received a surprise reward.

The study found that those who had previously liked drawing (i.e., intrinsically motivated) were less motivated to draw once they were expected to be rewarded for the activity. I often see this to be true in some classrooms that I consult and collaborate with.

The authors of the study pointed out that this is a central problem with our educational system and its inability to preserve intrinsic interest in learning and exploration for students.

This speaks volumes to what we do as occupational therapists—because we ensure that the goals we target are intrinsically motivating for our clients.

Supporting Motivation at Home Through Child-Led Choices

I’m also writing this blog post as a mom to two little girls (Sidney and Ellie). Sidney, my almost two-year-old, reminds me often of what intrinsically motivates her. Whether it’s an episode of CoCoMelon or wearing her rain boots everywhere (with no rain here in California), I try to remember that these small things fill her cup and need to be acknowledged and honored.

When we build on a child’s natural interests and internal motivation—whether in therapy, at school, or at home—we support true, lasting growth.

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