Self-Actualization: Examples Of Extrinsic Motivation

Self-actualization is the highest humans can get, when it comes to feeling right with the world around us. One theorist Erikson noted “that ego integrity depends on accepting one’s life in all its complexities” (Bauer). When someone feels they are self-actualized they have a “tendency toward growth and development, under the right circumstances, lead people toward actualizing their human potential, which means to become all that they are capable of being”(Deci), full functioning. I understand this to mean that full functioning is “when an individual having access to and using all of their capacities for experience, connection and proactivity,” leading one to feel complete mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually (Deci). This will help to increase “capacities to think complexly, deeply, and richly about self and others” which is all the human condition is about (Bauer). There are “three autonomous behaviors that lead to self-actualization those being intrinsically motivated, extrinsically motivated and emotionally motivated,” say the Deci article. Intrinsic motivation is “engaging in an activity for its own sake- doing it because it is interesting and enjoyable when there are no extrinsic motivators present” (Deci). An example of intrinsic motivation for me personally is when I am reading. It is something that I enjoy doing that does not involve someone “making me”. Book reports in school were never a struggle because I enjoyed reading so much that I would always be the first to finish while the majority of my classmates would struggle with the one chapter a week. Extrinsic motivation is “engaging in an activity for a separate consequence- monetary reward, figurative pat-on-the-back that people give themselves, or the achievement of some outcome they deeply value” (Deci). One of the biggest examples that come to mine about extrinsic motivation is doing the dishes. …show more content…
Doing the dishes is a very mundane chore that has to be done in every household. For me, I dread doing the dishes so when I know that it is my turn to do them, I know that I have to motivate myself with a reward. Normally my reward is to watch my favorite show on TV or read a book. I do not get to do either of those things until I finish the dishes, motivating me to finish the task and feel as though I rewarded myself with good behavior. Lastly would be emotion-motivated. Self-determination and actualizing needs all these things with the three basic needs- competence, autonomy, and relatedness- are “essential for maintaining intrinsic motivation, fully internalizing extrinsic motivation, and integrating the regulations of emotions (Deci). …show more content…
The psychological basic needs are competence, autonomy and relatedness and they are a “requirement or necessities for health and well-being (Deci). Competence is the “desire to interact effectively with one’s environment” (Deci). Environment to me means interacting socially throughout your life. Relatedness “refers to the necessity for close and secure emotional bonds with significant others and the feeling apart of collectives such as leisure or political groups or even cultures” (Deci). Lastly, is autonomy that is “defined as the necessity of experiencing a sense of choice, willingness and violation as one behaves” (Deci). Together I can see how all of these together would help you feel more complete. For example, I feel like I work so well with my environment, competence, that I have formed friendships with my closest friends, relatedness, and as I go through the course of life I experience many different things that adopt autonomy. One large example of this is how I currently live together with