Jennifer reads books recommended by her history teacher even though there is no grade given for reading them. Which of these applies?



Functional fixedness

Intrinsic motivation

Inductive reasoning

Incubation

Heuristics

This appears to be intrinsic motivation. She is motivated beyond the scope of requirement.

With intrinsic motivation, the act itself is reinforcing.

The most applicable term that describes Jennifer's behavior in this scenario is "intrinsic motivation."

Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for its own sake, driven by personal enjoyment and interest, rather than external rewards or incentives. In this case, Jennifer is reading books recommended by her history teacher because she genuinely finds them interesting and wants to expand her knowledge in history. Despite the fact that there is no grade or external reward associated with reading these books, Jennifer is still motivated to do so because of her intrinsic motivation.

To arrive at this answer, I analyzed and compared the given options:

1. Functional fixedness: This refers to a cognitive bias where one is unable to see alternative uses or solutions for an object or problem. It does not apply to the scenario described.
2. Intrinsic motivation: This accurately describes Jennifer's behavior as she is motivated by personal interest and enjoyment in reading the recommended books.
3. Inductive reasoning: Inductive reasoning involves drawing general conclusions based on specific observations or evidence. It does not apply to Jennifer's motivation for reading the recommended books.
4. Incubation: Incubation refers to the subconscious mental process that occurs when taking a break from problem-solving, leading to creative insights. It is not relevant to Jennifer's reading behavior.
5. Heuristics: Heuristics are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used to solve problems efficiently. It does not apply to Jennifer's motivation for reading the recommended books.

Based on the given options, "intrinsic motivation" best describes Jennifer's behavior in this scenario.