Which motivation describes a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake?

• A. External regulation
• B. Intrinsic motivation
• C. Integrated regulation
• D. Identified regulation

Answer: (B)

Motivation that comes from within, because the activity itself is enjoyable or interesting, is described here. When you perform a behavior for its own sake, you’re engaging because you genuinely find the activity satisfying or intrinsically rewarding, not because you’ll get an external payoff or meet a separate expectation.

External regulation relies on outside rewards or punishments to drive the behavior, so the behavior is done mainly to obtain a consequence. Identified regulation involves recognizing personal importance of the outcome and adopting it as your own, which is still extrinsic since the motive is tied to achieving a valued result. Integrated regulation goes further in aligning the behavior with your broader self and values, yet it remains partly connected to external goals.

So the best fit is intrinsic motivation, where the action itself is the reason for doing it—its own sake. In practice, this can help with sustained engagement because the activity is inherently rewarding to the person.