内驱力 Intrinsic Motivation

为什么wèishénme有的yǒude人rén不用búyòng监督jiāndū也yě能néng持之以恒chí zhī yǐ héng，有的yǒude人rén却què离开líkāi奖惩jiǎngchéng就jiù寸步难行cùn bù nán xíng？

Why can some people keep going without any supervision, while others can barely move a step once rewards and punishments are removed?

心理学家xīnlǐxuéjiā把bǎ答案dá'àn归结为guījié wéi“内驱力nèiqūlì”，即jí发自内心fā zì nèixīn、无须wúxū外部wàibù奖励jiǎnglì的de动机dòngjī。

Psychologists boil the answer down to "intrinsic drive" — that is, motivation that comes from within and needs no external reward.

一个yí ge经典jīngdiǎn实验shíyàn颇pō能néng说明shuōmíng问题wèntí：研究者yánjiūzhě让ràng两组liǎng zǔ孩子háizi画画huàhuà，一组yì zǔ画完huà wán给gěi奖品jiǎngpǐn，另lìng一组yì zǔ什么shénme都dōu不bù给gěi。

A classic experiment makes the point well: researchers had two groups of children draw — one group got a prize for each finished drawing, the other got nothing at all.

几周jǐ zhōu后hòu，得过dé guo奖品jiǎngpǐn的de孩子háizi一旦yídàn没有méiyǒu奖励jiǎnglì就jiù不再bú zài愿意yuànyì画huà，而ér另lìng一组yì zǔ依然yīrán画huà得de津津有味jīnjīn yǒu wèi。

Weeks later, the children who had been rewarded no longer wanted to draw once the prizes stopped, while the other group still drew with as much delight as ever.

外部wàibù奖励jiǎnglì固然gùrán见效jiànxiào快kuài，但dàn它tā会huì悄悄qiāoqiāo腐蚀fǔshí人rén对duì事情shìqing本身běnshēn的de兴趣xìngqù。

External rewards admittedly work fast, but they quietly corrode a person's interest in the activity itself.

真正zhēnzhèng的de内驱力nèiqūlì往往wǎngwǎng来自láizì三个sān ge要素yàosù：自主zìzhǔ的de空间kōngjiān、不断búduàn精进jīngjìn的de成就感chéngjiùgǎn，以及yǐjí做zuò这件zhè jiàn事shì的de意义yìyì。

Genuine intrinsic drive usually comes from three elements: room for autonomy, the satisfaction of steadily improving, and a sense that the work is meaningful.

无论wúlùn是shì学习xuéxí一门yì mén语言yǔyán，还是háishì坚持jiānchí一项yí xiàng运动yùndòng，凡fán靠kào意志力yìzhìlì硬撑yìngchēng的de，大多dàduō半途而废bàn tú ér fèi；凡fán由yóu兴趣xìngqù驱动qūdòng的de，反而fǎn'ér细水长流xì shuǐ cháng liú。

Whether it is learning a language or keeping up a sport, whatever is forced through by sheer willpower mostly ends half-finished, while whatever is driven by interest tends to flow on steadily.

与其yǔqí逼bī自己zìjǐ努力nǔlì，不如bùrú认真rènzhēn想清楚xiǎng qīngchu：这件zhè jiàn事shì对duì你nǐ而言éryán，究竟jiūjìng为什么wèishénme值得zhíde做zuò？

Rather than forcing yourself to work hard, think it through honestly: why, for you, is this thing actually worth doing?

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

内驱力nèiqūlìintrinsic motivation; inner drive

持之以恒chí zhī yǐ héngto persevere unremittingly

奖惩jiǎngchéngrewards and punishments

腐蚀fǔshíto corrode; to erode

自主zìzhǔautonomous; self-directed

半途而废bàn tú ér fèito give up halfway

Grammar note 语法点

…，即…

In formal writing, 即 means 'that is; namely', introducing a definition or restatement of the term just mentioned, much like 'i.e.' in English.

心理学家把答案归结为“内驱力”，即发自内心、无须外部奖励的动机。 — Psychologists boil the answer down to "intrinsic drive," that is, motivation that comes from within and needs no external reward.

无论是…，还是…

'No matter whether it is A or B' — lists alternative cases and asserts that the statement that follows holds for all of them.

无论是学习一门语言，还是坚持一项运动，凡由兴趣驱动的，反而细水长流。 — Whether it is learning a language or keeping up a sport, whatever is driven by interest tends to flow on steadily.

对…而言

A formal equivalent of 对…来说: 'as far as X is concerned; for X'. It frames the following judgment from a particular person's perspective.

这件事对你而言，究竟为什么值得做？ — Why, for you, is this thing actually worth doing?

Check yourself 小测验

1. In the drawing experiment, what happened to the rewarded children weeks later?

2. According to the text, what are the three elements genuine intrinsic drive comes from?

3. What does the text say about external rewards?

内驱力NèiqūlìIntrinsic Motivation

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 6 reading practice