Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for the inherent satisfaction and enjoyment it brings, rather than for external rewards. The extent to which people are intrinsically motivated predicts persistence and performance in the workplace, academics, health behaviors, and more (Woolley & Fishbach, 2022). As understanding about intrinsic motivation evolves, scholars have begun to explore its nuances in depth, particularly through the means-ends fusion (MEF) model, which holds that intrinsic motivation arises from “a perceptual fusion” between an activity and a goal.
At its core, intrinsic motivation predicts persistence towards achieving a goal. The MEF model posits that intrinsic motivation arises when there is a collision between an activity and a goal in an individual's mind. For instance, enjoying a walk for its own sake demonstrates how an activity (walking in the park) can align with a personal goal (getting healthier). Accordingly, a variable or factor that can strengthen an association between an activity and a goal can thereby be a catalyst for increasing an individual’s persistence in achieving their stated goal.
Within the MEF model, researchers have identified some key factors that can enhance the perceptual fusion between an activity and a goal:
Uniqueness of activity-goal association
If an individual must do Activity A in order to achieve Goal A, and Goal A can only be achieved by doing Activity A, then a stronger perceptual fusion is created in the individual’s mind, and intrinsic motivation to achieve Goal A is likely to increase. Put differently, when an activity achieves a specific goal with no other conflicting outcomes, a Unique Activity-Goal Association is created in the individual’s mind. However, if a new Goal B were to be added as an outcome of Activity A, the association between Activity A and Goal A would become diluted, and this would likely result in a decrease of intrinsic motivation to achieve Goal A.
Frequency of activity-goal pairing
Frequently pairing an activity with its goal strengthens the association between an activity and a goal, thereby increasing intrinsic motivation to achieve the goal. If one learns that carrying out an activity leads to a reward through repeated coupling, one will likely engage in the activity more often, and one’s experience of preforming the activity will likely be more positive, less stressful, and more energizing.
Proximity of the activity and the goal
The timing of goal achievement is another factor that can determine an individual’s intrinsic motivation to achieve a goal. As time between Activity A and Goal A decreases, intrinsic motivation to achieve Goal A increases. Furthermore, when Goal A is achieved immediately after Activity A, the effect of increasing intrinsic motivation is much stronger. An activity with an immediate reward is more likely to be highly motivating for the participant, compared to the same activity with delayed goal achievement or reward. Contrarily, delays in reward can diminish intrinsic motivation.
Sort by: Recent / Top