Overview
TO DO
Be sure to support your posts and responses with specific references to behavior-analytic theory and research. In addition to the Learning Resources, search the Walden Library and/or the internet for peer-reviewed articles to support your posts and responses. Use proper APA format and citations, including those in the Learning Resources.
The idea of intrinsic motivation by doing something for its own sake rather than for external rewards has been widely discussed in psychology and education. From a behavior-analytic standpoint, however, this concept is not especially useful because it refers to internal states that cannot be directly observed or measured. As Cooper et al., (2020) emphasize, applied behavior analysis (ABA) is built on the study of observable behavior and the environmental variables that influence it. For this reason, behavior analysts often interpret “intrinsic motivation” in terms of automatic reinforcement, where the activity itself produces reinforcing consequences without the need for external rewards.
Although the term may not be technically precise within ABA, it can serve a practical purpose when communicating with families, educators, or interdisciplinary teams. For example, describing a child as “intrinsically motivated” to read can be reframed as the child contacting reinforcement inherent in the act of reading, such as enjoyment or mastery.
The relationship between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic reinforcement has been the subject of debate. Akin-Little and Little (2019) reviewed the evidence and concluded that the claim that extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic motivation is largely unsupported. Instead, reinforcement whether external or automatic functions to increase the likelihood of behavior. In practice, extrinsic reinforcement often plays a critical role in skill acquisition until natural contingencies are strong enough to maintain the behavior. For instance, a student may initially earn tokens for completing math problems, but over time, the natural reinforcement of competence and success can sustain the behavior without external rewards.
In summary, while “intrinsic motivation” is not a formal construct in ABA, understanding how automatic reinforcement interacts with extrinsic contingencies helps practitioners design interventions that are both effective and socially valid. This perspective ensures that reinforcement strategies are applied ethically and pragmatically, supporting long-term positive behavior change.
References
Akin-Little, A., & Little, S. G. (2019). Effect of extrinsic reinforcement on “intrinsic” motivation: Separating fact from fiction. In S. G. Little & A. Akin-Little (Eds.), Behavioral interventions in schools: Evidence-based positive strategies(2nd ed., pp. 113–132). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000126-007
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.