ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of research on intrinsic motivation. It addresses research on reward timing, specifically work on self-control, which documented a preference for immediate rewards that materialize sooner in time over delayed rewards that materialize later. The chapter also addresses work on self-control and intertemporal choice that examines tradeoffs between receiving immediate versus delayed rewards. It outlines research on the valuation of intrinsic incentives, demonstrating that people care more about intrinsic incentives when they arrive more immediately. The chapter discusses how immediate rewards serve to increase intrinsic motivation, showing the earlier delivery of rewards renders the experience of an activity more intrinsic. It argues that the greater the temporal association is between an activity and its reward, the more the activity is perceived as intrinsically motivating. The chapter explores whether immediate rewards increase engagement in an activity, even for activities primarily motivated by delayed rewards or extrinsic incentives.
