What motivates you to learn?

How we learn revolves around what drives or motivates us – our way of thinking.   If we are driven by If we are driven by extrinsic motivation we make choices because we’re seeking a carrot (reward) or fear the stick (punishment). The carrot or the stick might be treats, promises of things to come, bribes or threats.    

On the other hand if we are driven by intrinsic motivation we are sparked by internal rewards, by having a go, doing our personal best and feeling a sense of purpose in what we are doing. How we have been parented determines whether we’ve developed more intrinsically-motivated or extrinsically-motivated behaviour.   

Extrinsic motivation results in very short-term behaviour change and the carrot and stick need to grow as the child does. But the key point is that extrinsic motivation does not help us make the right choices from within ourselves. 

But intrinsic motivation is all about us making a decision because it’s right, or just engaging in a task because we know that’s just what you do, or know it’s beneficial for us to do so.