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Intrinsic motivation in product-oriented and non-product-oriented activities
1Spring Shadows Glen, Houston, Texas 77080.
Summary
Purposeful activity may not directly increase perceived exertion, but enjoyment in a task, like creating a keepable product, significantly boosts motivation and liking for the activity.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human Motivation
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Intrinsic motivation is crucial for sustained effort.
- Understanding factors influencing perceived exertion is key for exercise adherence.
- Product-oriented activities may enhance engagement compared to non-tangible tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if purposeful, product-oriented activities increase intrinsic motivation.
- To investigate if creating a tangible product impacts perceived exertion and heart rate.
- To explore the relationship between task enjoyment and exercise effort.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen subjects performed sanding tasks with varying product outcomes.
- Perceived exertion was measured using the Borg Rating Scale of Perceived Exertion.
- Heart rate increase and time to perceive exertion were recorded.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in heart rate or time to perceived exertion were found between tasks.
- Subjects reported significantly higher enjoyment for the keepable product task.
- Enjoyment increased further upon task completion.
Conclusions:
- Task enjoyment, particularly for product-oriented activities, appears to be a significant predictor of effort.
- Intrinsic motivation may be more closely linked to task liking than perceived exertion.
- Further research is needed to explore the role of liking in predicting exercise effort.