What type of motivation is driven by external rewards or incentives?

Extrinsic motivation is defined by behavior that is driven by external rewards or incentives. This type of motivation arises when individuals engage in activities primarily to earn a reward or to avoid a negative outcome. For instance, a person might exercise to receive praise, financial incentives, or recognition rather than for personal satisfaction or enjoyment of the activity itself.

In contrast, intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual. People who are intrinsically motivated engage in activities for the inherent satisfaction they bring, such as enjoying a workout because it feels good. Positive and negative motivation typically refer to the emotional response associated with action—positive motivation encourages behavior through rewards, while negative motivation discourages behavior through the prospect of punishment or undesirable outcomes—but these concepts are not specifically tied to the external rewards that define extrinsic motivation.