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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development pp 628Cite as

Extrinsically Motivated Behavior

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Synonyms

Contingency-maintained behavior; Reinforcement-maintained behavior

Definition

Extrinsically motivated behavior refers to behavior that is performed because of rewards that are external to a person.

Description

Motivation speaks to the issue of why a behavior occurs, or the reasons why certain behaviors are performed in lieu of others. Extrinsic motivation ascribes these reasons to external forces or rewards. Thus, behavior that occurs because of the external rewards that are involved are said to be extrinsically motivated. Completing a task for money, recognition/praise, or to avoid punishment are common examples of extrinsically motivated behavior. In these cases, the behavior occurs because of the external rewards, not because of some unseen, unverifiable intrinsic value of the task [1]. Virtually everything that humans do is, in some way, related to the outcomes of their behavior. Even behaviors that seemingly have no immediate external consequence or reward may continue...

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References

  1. Cameron, J., & Pierce, W. D. (2002). Rewards and intrinsic motivation. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.

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  2. Cameron, J., & Pierce, W. D. (1994). Reinforcement, reward, and intrinsic motivation: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 64, 363–423.

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  3. Deci, E. L. (1971). Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18, 105–115.

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  4. Weaver, A. D., & Watson, T. S. (2004). An idiographic investigation of the effects of ability- and effort-based praise on math performance and persistence. The Behavior Analyst Today, 5, 381–390.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Psychology, Miami University (OH), 201 McGuffey Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

    Steuart T. Watson & Darrell Davis

Authors
  1. Steuart T. Watson
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  2. Darrell Davis
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Watson, S.T., Davis, D. (2011). Extrinsically Motivated Behavior. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1078

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1078

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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