Intrinsic motivation is when an individual is motivated by internal factors, as opposed to external factors. Examples of intrinsic motivation would be doing something because you feel it is the moral and ethical thing to do; doing something because you know it will benefit others or doing something because it brings you pleasure and joy. The latter is common in regards to an enjoyable pastime or a hobby. It is believed that intrinsic motivation is far stronger than extrinsic motivation however there are times when extrinsic motivation can become stronger because it displaces intrinsic motivation. This is known as the overjustification effect. For example this occurs when you begin doing something for intrinsic reasons and then are offered monies or another type of reward for doing it that overrides the reason you started doing it in the first place. In many cases when this happens, a person loses interest in the activity once the reward is taken away. The key is ...