External vs. internal motivation: Does it matter that much if it gets the job done?
By external motivation, I am not talking about a parent bribing their kids to study or ace a course or audition successfully. I am talking about a kid valuing an achievement for purely external sources of satisfaction/reward rather than an intrinsic sense of accomplishment/enjoyment.
A while back, DD12 successfully auditioned for a regional instrumental music program and recently performed the concert after all the rehearsals. She had previously commented with amazement after the first rehearsal that it was so much better than playing with her school group, including the after-school honors group. I asked her if it was worth all the effort/commitment. I was a bit disturbed by my her response but on reflection, I am not sure that I should have been. She responded that it was only worth it for the bragging rights (she got recognition at school for being offered a seat) and the potential college scholarships but it was a pain making up school work. In other words, she wouldn't want to do it otherwise. The scholarship bit did not come from me - she had heard it somewhere else. It is great that she is thinking about the future but I was hoping that she would just love music and gaining competency for its own sake. What do other parents think?
Last edited by Quantum2003; 12/17/15 11:06 AM.
