Scientific Definition
Doing something because the doing is the reward.
Plain-English Definition
Doing something because the doing is the reward.
Feynman Explanation
The best people do their best work for reasons you can't pay for.
Core Principle
Doing something because the doing is the reward.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
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Doing something because the doing is the reward.
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Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
The best people do their best work for reasons you can't pay for.
Examples
- Open-source contributions. Artistic work. Genuine craftsmanship.
- Comp design that protects intrinsic motivation.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Don't replace intrinsic with extrinsic. You'll lose both.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Don't replace intrinsic with extrinsic. You'll lose both.
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Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Self-direction is one of the deepest motivational levers.
Doing something for an external reward.
The drive to get better at things that matter.
Adding external rewards reduces intrinsic motivation.
Meaning beyond the task multiplies motivation.
Humans need autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Belief in one's ability to execute.
Naming an emotion reduces its intensity.
Cumulative physiological wear from chronic stress.
Emotional override of rational processing.
Brain region tracking conflict, error, and effort.
We treat AI as more humanlike than it is.