Motivation has been suggested to be what directs and energises ones behaviour, that which impels action (Hatfield, 2002). Motivation is also known as genetically influenced, contrasting environmental influence- commonly associated with learning (Hatfield, 2002). When individuals are said to be intrinsically motivated they engage in activities purely for their own interest in that particular activity (Wigfield, Eccles & Rodriguez, 1998). Intrinsic motivation could be described using the notion of “flow”, describing it as feelings of “being immersed and carried by an activity, as well as feeling in control of ones actions and the surrounding environment” (Wigfield, Eccles & Rodriguez cited Csikszentmihalyi, 1998, p76). “Flow”, it is suggested, may occur only when individuals feel the opportunity for a task to correspond with ones ability to master that challenge. Intrinsic motivation relies on the sense that a reward of an activity is not separate to the activity itself, one feels the activity itself is the reward (Glietman, Fridlund & Reisberg, 1999). The following essay

There are numerous factors, which affect intrinsic motivation, and in order to understand this type of motivation we must understand its determinants. Wigfield, Eccles & Rodriguez (1998) highlight three key areas in the characterisation of intrinsic motivation in individuals. Firstly and arguably most importantly is the individual’s ability and belief to predict performance in a specific task, or sones self-confidence in an activity. Motivation is significantly related to expectation of success; for example, when children believe they can accomplish something they are more likely to do so (Wigfield, Eccles & Rodriguez, 1998). Deci and Ryan (1987) suggest that events which foster self competence will enhance and maintain intrinsic motivation however, in contrast, events which hinder self competence will decrease intrinsic motivation. Secondly, when individuals obtain a positive sense of their ability to perform a task they are more likely to choose to perform and persist at that task children who believe they control their achievement outcomes should feel more confident in that activity as they are able to display an amount of structure, autonomy and involvement (Wigfield, Eccles & Rodriguez, 1998). Experiments were conducted by Deci and Ryan (1987) where children were firstly engaged in freelance activity and then alternatively engaged in activities which were externally constrained. Findings displayed that those who were engaged in the freelance activity received positive feedback and gained confidence displaying intrinsically motivated interest in other new activities (Deci & Ryan, 1987). The experiment also showed that apparent personal choice about peripheral conditions under which an activity was engaged lead to enhanced intrinsic motivation in that activity. Finally, one construct closely related to intrinsic motivation is interest and what researchers have particularly identified as individual interest, which incorporates both knowledge and value about an activity (Wigfield, Eccles & Rodriguez, 1998). Research conducted by Lepper and Cordova (1992) found fantasy/empathy tasks had the most significant impact in heightening a child’s intrinsic interest as the fantasy context led students to use more efficient and elaborate problem solving strategies, which in turn produced higher levels of performance and achievement. The study displayed that students who were given problems in a fantasy context required significantly fewer trails to arrive to a conclusion and formed hypotheses in a more informative and systematic way (Lepper & Cordova, 1992). The students therefore, saw themselves as more capable at the task and thus selectively chose to attempt more difficult problems during the consecutive trails. It has been noted that intrinsic motivation and interest across the school ye

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