IGCSE PE 0413 · Area 3 · Skill Acquisition & Psychology

Motivation

Motivation is what drives a performer to take part and to keep going. Cambridge splits it into intrinsic, which comes from inside the performer, and extrinsic, which comes from outside. Naming the two types is easy; the marks are in the examples and in explaining the effect each one has. Students often describe extrinsic motivation well and then treat intrinsic motivation as a synonym for wanting to do well.

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Syllabus coverage

  • The types of motivation, naming and describing: intrinsic, extrinsic
  • Provide examples of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
  • Explain the effect of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation and how they can be used in physical activities

Part of the IGCSE PE 0413 syllabus 0413 / 0995.

Intrinsic motivation comes from within; extrinsic motivation comes from rewards and recognition outside the performer.

What motivation is

Motivation is the internal drive or reason that makes a performer want to take part in physical activity and keep working at it. It explains why two performers of the same ability train differently: one turns up to every session, the other drifts away.

Motivation matters for three things. It starts participation, it maintains it through the hard weeks of training, and it raises effort in competition. A performer with no motivation stops attending, however good their natural ability is.

Cambridge divides motivation into two types. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside the performer. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside the performer.

If a question asks you to explain motivation rather than name it, give the drive plus the behaviour it produces — the performer keeps attending training and puts in more effort.

Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation comes from within the performer. They take part for the satisfaction, enjoyment or sense of achievement the activity itself gives them, not for anything they might win.

The motivation is attached to the activity, so it does not disappear when there is no competition, no crowd and no prize. That is why a cross-country runner still does a solo training run in bad weather.

  • Taking part for the enjoyment of the sport itself.
  • Wanting to feel proud of personal improvement, such as beating your own time.
  • The satisfaction of mastering a difficult skill, such as landing a new gymnastics move.
  • Feeling healthier and better about yourself, and using sport to relieve stress.
The giveaway for intrinsic motivation is that the reward is the activity itself. If the performer would still do it with no medal and no one watching, the motivation is intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside the performer. The reward is separate from the activity: a trophy, prize money, a place in the team, praise from a coach, or recognition from parents and spectators.

Extrinsic motivation is powerful in the short term, especially for a beginner who has not yet found enjoyment in the sport itself. Its weakness is that it only lasts as long as the reward does — remove the prize and the drive disappears with it.

  • Winning medals, trophies or prize money.
  • Being selected for a team or receiving a scholarship.
  • Praise and encouragement from a coach, teacher or parent.
  • Public recognition such as appearing on a poster or in a newspaper.

Intrinsic and extrinsic compared

Both types can drive the same performer, and a good coach uses both. The difference is where the reward sits.

TypeWhere the motivation comes fromExamplesEffect on the performer
IntrinsicInside the performer — the satisfaction and enjoyment of the activity itselfEnjoying the sport, personal pride in improvement, mastering a skill, feeling healthierLong-lasting, because it does not depend on a reward being present; it keeps the performer training through setbacks and poor results
ExtrinsicOutside the performer — rewards given by othersMedals, trophies, prize money, team selection, praise from the coach, famePowerful and immediate, but short-lived: if the reward is removed, the motivation usually goes with it

Using motivation in physical activities

The syllabus asks how each type can be used, so think of it as a coach's tool rather than a description of a performer.

Extrinsic motivation is used to start participation and to reward effort. A coach gives a player of the match award, praises a gymnast after a good vault, or makes selection for the first team a target the player works towards. This works best with beginners and with performers who have not yet found enjoyment in the sport.

Intrinsic motivation is used to keep participation going. A coach explains why the skill matters, points out how much the performer's times have improved, and gives the performer some choice in what to practise, so the performer develops their own reasons for training. This is what keeps performers involved for years rather than weeks.

The strongest approach is to use extrinsic rewards early and deliberately build intrinsic motivation behind them. If a performer is only ever motivated by trophies, they stop as soon as they stop winning.

A frequent 4- or 5-mark question asks how a coach can raise motivation. Give both types, with a specific activity example for each. An answer that only offers rewards is one-sided.

Turning motivation into marks

A one-mark state or identify question wants the type named plus an example: extrinsic motivation, such as a trophy.

A describe question wants the source: intrinsic motivation comes from inside the performer and comes from the enjoyment and satisfaction of the activity itself.

An explain the effect question wants a consequence: intrinsic motivation lasts longer because it does not depend on a reward, so the performer keeps training even when they are not winning.

  • Always give an example from a syllabus activity when the question asks for one.
  • When explaining the effect, say how long the motivation lasts and what it makes the performer do.
  • Keep the language of the syllabus: intrinsic and extrinsic, not internal and external.

Key terms you must be able to define

Motivation
The internal drive or reason that makes a performer want to take part in physical activity and keep working at it.
Intrinsic motivation
Motivation that comes from within the performer, from the satisfaction, enjoyment or sense of achievement of the activity itself.
Extrinsic motivation
Motivation that comes from outside the performer, from rewards such as trophies, medals, money, team selection or praise.

Applied to your sport

Cambridge requires you to apply this knowledge to physical activities. Use these as models, then write your own for the sport you play.

Cross-Country Running

A runner who trains alone in cold weather because they enjoy the feeling of improving their own time is intrinsically motivated; a runner training only to win a medal is extrinsically motivated.

Competitive Swimming

A coach raises motivation by praising a personal best after a race (extrinsic) while also explaining how the improved turns show the swimmer's own progress, so they develop a reason of their own to keep training (intrinsic).

Netball

Being selected for the first team is extrinsic motivation, but a player who stays behind after training to practise shooting does so because of the satisfaction of mastering the skill, which is intrinsic.

Judo

Winning a medal at a competition is an extrinsic reward, whereas the satisfaction of perfecting a throw and feeling competent in it is intrinsic motivation that keeps the performer attending sessions.

Weight Training for Fitness

A performer who trains to feel healthier and to relieve stress is intrinsically motivated, while one who trains to look better for a photograph or a bet is driven by an external reward.

Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Mark honestly — the tracker uses this.

Q1Name the two types of motivation.
Intrinsic and extrinsic.
Q2What is intrinsic motivation?
Motivation that comes from inside the performer, from the enjoyment, satisfaction or sense of achievement of the activity itself.
Q3What is extrinsic motivation?
Motivation that comes from outside the performer, from rewards such as trophies, medals, money, team selection or praise.
Q4Give two examples of intrinsic motivation.
Taking part because you enjoy the sport, and wanting the personal satisfaction of mastering a difficult skill.
Q5Give two examples of extrinsic motivation.
Winning a medal or trophy, and being praised by the coach or selected for the team.
Q6Which type of motivation lasts longer, and why?
Intrinsic motivation, because it does not depend on a reward being present and stays with the performer when they are not winning.
Q7Why is extrinsic motivation useful for beginners?
Because it is immediate and visible, so it can start participation before the performer has found enjoyment in the activity itself.
Q8What is the main disadvantage of extrinsic motivation?
It is short-lived — if the reward is removed, the motivation usually goes with it.
Q9How can a coach build intrinsic motivation?
By explaining why the skill matters, pointing out personal improvement, and giving the performer some choice in what to practise.
Q10How can a coach use extrinsic motivation?
By giving rewards such as a player of the match award, praise after a good performance, or making team selection a target.
Q11Why does motivation matter in physical activity?
It starts participation, maintains it through the hard weeks of training, and raises effort in competition.
0 of 11 marked as known

Exam-style questions

7 questions, 19 marks. Write your answer, then reveal the mark scheme and tick each point you actually made. Answering honestly here is what makes the rest of the site useful.

StateAO11 mark
State one example of extrinsic motivation in physical activity.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Any external reward scores: trophy, medal, prize money, team selection or praise from the coach. One mark, one example.
IdentifyAO12 marks
Identify two forms of extrinsic motivation a coach could use with a basketball team.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Both points must be rewards provided by someone else. Wanting to improve for your own satisfaction is intrinsic and would not score here.
DescribeAO12 marks
Describe intrinsic motivation.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: The description gains the first mark and the example the second. Make sure the example would still apply with no crowd and no prize.
ExplainAO23 marks
Explain the effect of intrinsic motivation on a performer in Competitive Swimming.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Each mark needs a consequence, not just a statement about intrinsic motivation. Say what the swimmer actually does as a result.
ExplainAO24 marks
Explain how a coach could use both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to keep a group of netball players attending training across a long season.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Four marks means two points for each type of motivation. Say explicitly which type each point belongs to so the examiner can credit it.
CompareAO12 marks
Compare intrinsic motivation with extrinsic motivation.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Compare means both sides, and the comparison must show the difference — inside against outside, lasting against short-lived.
EvaluateAO25 marks
Evaluate the use of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in keeping a performer involved in Judo over several years.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Evaluation needs a strength and a limitation for each type before the conclusion. The final mark is for the judgement, so state it clearly even if the points above it are strong.

Exam technique for this topic

  • Name the type of motivation in every point you make. Saying a coach gives out medals does not show you know that this is extrinsic.
  • Give a different example for each type. Using one example twice looks like you only know one type.
  • For effect questions, say how long the motivation lasts. That is the clearest difference between the two types.
  • When the question asks how motivation can be used, write it from the coach's point of view — what they actually do.
  • Only use activities from the syllabus list in your examples, such as Netball, Competitive Swimming, Cross-Country Running, Weight Training for Fitness and Judo.

Why students lose marks here

A student wroteIntrinsic motivation is when you are motivated by winning.
Why it loses marksWinning is an external reward, so this describes extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside the performer and from the activity itself.
The answer that scoresIntrinsic motivation comes from within the performer and is driven by the satisfaction and enjoyment of the activity itself, such as a swimmer training because they enjoy the feeling of improving their own stroke.
A student wroteExtrinsic motivation is better because rewards make people work harder.
Why it loses marksThis ignores the main limitation. Extrinsic motivation only lasts as long as the reward is there, so a performer who is only driven by trophies stops once they stop winning.
The answer that scoresExtrinsic motivation is powerful in the short term and is useful for starting participation and rewarding effort, but it is short-lived. Intrinsic motivation lasts longer because it does not depend on a reward being present, so it keeps performers involved when they are training without competitions.
A student wroteMotivation is the same as ability.
Why it loses marksThey are different things. Ability is what a performer can do; motivation is the drive that makes them use that ability and keep training.
The answer that scoresAbility is a performer's natural or developed capacity to perform a skill, while motivation is the drive that makes them take part and keep working at it. A performer can have high ability but drop out through lack of motivation, or limited ability and still train consistently through high motivation.
A student wroteA performer is either intrinsically or extrinsically motivated, never both.
Why it loses marksMost performers are driven by a mixture. Treating the two as a fixed choice weakens any answer that asks how motivation can be used.
The answer that scoresPerformers are usually motivated by both types at once. A netball player may be extrinsically motivated to gain selection for the first team, and intrinsically motivated by the satisfaction of mastering the shooting technique. A coach can use the external reward to start participation and build the internal reasons behind it.

Where this fits in IGCSE PE 0413

This page is one topic of Cambridge IGCSE PE 0413 / 0995. IGCSE PE 0413 is the course home: every area and every topic in Cambridge's own order, the papers you sit and what each one tests, and the exam-practice tools. The full topic list, with each topic linked to its revision page, is on the IGCSE PE 0413 syllabus page.