Intrinsic academic motivation is an essential factor for student success, especially at university level. The underlying motivation for pursuing and persisting in higher education varies depending on various extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Many college students find that their initial levels of motivation begin to decline as their course load becomes more strenuous and accumulates. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Dev's Hallmark Studies describes the concept of intrinsic motivation as participating in a given activity purely out of curiosity, the desire to engage in an activity for the sole purpose of participation and completion, and the desire to contribute to Knowledge . Intrinsic motivation requires continuous effort and perseverance, where intrinsically motivated students often develop achievement and learning goals. The desire to gain understanding in a given topic (mastery) has also been found to be positively correlated with effective learning strategies, choice of difficult tasks, positive attitudes toward school, self-regulation, perceived ability, effort, and concern about future consequences Elliot's studies on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation were able to classify students into three main groups, namely those with a task mastery orientation, work-avoidant or ego-oriented students. The author goes on to state that mastery orientation refers to students engaging in activities purely to gain knowledge or contribute to a field of knowledge. Extrinsic motivation concerns a dynamic range of activities engaged in as a means to an end, rather than for their own good. This refers to motivations separate from the behaviors caused. Extrinsic motivations for behavior are not inherent in themselves providing an example; a student can study to do well and get a good grade because the resulting grade can result in a lavish gift. The act of studying in this case is carried out for the intended purpose (learning by acquiring knowledge), but for the sake of external reward. The study of information can generally be described as a precursor to learning. But this association is often altered and manipulated to lead to other things such as power, acceptance, gifts or even money. Adding an extrinsic incentive to complete a task such as studying has often been found to decrease intrinsic motivation. Such findings prove detrimental to the field of education. To help students develop their intrinsic motivation it is crucial to identify the factors that generally influence (academic) motivation. Researchers have highlighted and studied factors such as teacher and family expectations, peer acceptance, money; all of this involves proving one's worth to another. Schraw, Horn, Thorndike, Christ, and Bruning famously state that intrinsically motivated students improve their competence, while extrinsic learners demonstrate their competence. These factors, however, do not fully explain why some students continually persist in certain tasks despite preferring not to. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, traditional studies on motivation largely focused on motivation as a precondition, research has identified a reciprocal relationship between..