The Psychology of Purpose: Exploring the Role of Purpose and Intrinsic Motivation

Abstract

This study explores the role of purpose as a motivator. Undergraduate students (N=54) were compared based on their self-reported levels of enjoyment, long-term motivation, and their levels of purpose in response to an inherently enjoyable task. I hypothesized that when purpose was present in an intrinsically motivated task people would experience increased engagement, positive affect and long-term motivation for their actions. Behavioral observations, including a measure of time-on-task, provided support for the hypothesis that purpose contributed to motivation above and beyond intrinsic motivation. However, some of the other measures did not yield significant findings, providing only mixed support for the idea.