Objective: Identify and classify motivations as internal or external in the following examples. Excerpt 1: "Despite his fear of heights, John decided to climb the mountain because he wanted to prove to himself that he could overcome it."

1 answer

In this excerpt, John's motivations can be classified as follows:

  • Internal Motivation: John's desire to prove to himself that he can overcome his fear of heights is an internal motivation. It stems from his personal goals and self-improvement.

  • External Motivation: Although there are elements of external motivation implied (e.g., the act of climbing a mountain is a visible, external accomplishment), the primary motivation in this context is internal, as it centers on his personal challenge and self-worth.

So, the primary motivation in this example is internal.