Intrinsic Motivation at Work, 2nd Edition

RESOURCE ATwo Earlier Models of Intrinsic Motivation

Why did my colleagues and I need to develop a new list of intrinsic rewards—didn’t we already have models of intrinsic motivation? Yes, there were a couple of popular models dating from the 1960s. However, both of these older models left out important intrinsic rewards that are central to the self-management process. I’ll briefly describe them here so that you can see how the new model builds on them.¹

The most widely known model of intrinsic motivation was originally developed by Edward Deci, a psychologist at the University of Rochester.² Much of his later academic work on the model has been with Richard Ryan.³ Deci also wrote a popular book with Richard Flaste, Why We Do What We Do, which ...