Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory: intrinsic motivation (doing something for its own sake) is more robust than extrinsic motivation (reward or punishment) for complex, creative, and long-horizon tasks.

The paradox: adding extrinsic rewards to intrinsically motivated behavior can undermine intrinsic motivation (overjustification effect). Pay a child to read books they already love, and they read less when the payment stops.

The conditions for intrinsic motivation: autonomy (choosing how to do it), competence (feeling capable), relatedness (doing it in connection with others). Educational systems that optimize for grades at the expense of all three predictably produce students who stop learning when grades stop mattering.

Related: [[assessment-drives-learning]], [[@carol/practice-vs-playing]]