Intrinsic motivation means doing something because you enjoy it or find it satisfying, not just for rewards or prizes (Ryan & Deci, 2000). On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is when you do something to get a reward or achieve a specific result.
Intrinsic motivation is seen as the most self-driven kind of motivation. When you’re intrinsically motivated, you’re more likely to keep going with the activity, feel positive about it, and get into a state of focus and enjoyment called “flow” (Ntoumanis, 2012).
There are three types of intrinsic motivations: one is the drive to learn new things, another is the desire to achieve something, and the third is the excitement of experiencing something stimulating or interesting (Vallerand, 1997).
Ntoumanis, N. (2012). A self-determination theory perspective on motivation in sport and physical education: Current trends and possible future research directions. In G. C. Roberts, & D. C. Treasure (Eds.), Motivation in sport and exercise (pp. 91 128). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 54 67.
Vallerand, R. J. (1997). Toward a hierarchical model of intrin- sic and extrinsic motivation. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (pp. 271 360). New York: Academic Press.