motivation and incentive

English translation: interior-exterior

08:09 Apr 14, 2008
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - Philosophy
English term or phrase: motivation and incentive
What is the exact difference between motivation and incentive? For example in the sentence "What was Cassirers incentive to write his book on ...". Should this be motivation? for what reasons and generally when do we use incentive, when motivation?
It is a philosphy thesis.
Max Nuijens
Netherlands
Local time: 08:38
Selected answer:interior-exterior
Explanation:
for me motivation need not be external, and usually isn't - I am motivated by personal drive, ambition etc, i.e. an interior force. Incentive gives the idea of some reward (not necessarily material, however) of external provenance

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Note added at 5 mins (2008-04-14 08:15:43 GMT)
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So, to answer your question, in the case of Cassirer, it could be either; it would depend what drove him to write it

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Note added at 9 mins (2008-04-14 08:19:12 GMT)
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The Oxford Dictionary of English definitions seem to back this view up:

incentive: a thing that motivates someone to do something
motivation: a reason for acting or behaving in a particular way

an incentive is an exterior 'thing'; motivatiuon depends on interior 'reasoning'
Selected response from:

simon tanner
Italy
Local time: 08:38
Grading comment
Alright, one dictionary and nine human beings back you up; that makes a total of 10, which I will divide by 2.5, resulting in 4 credits. :-)

Indeed, recognition from academicians, financial problems, a love for controversy, university regulations etc., would be incentives. Thanks.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +10interior-exterior
simon tanner


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +10
interior-exterior


Explanation:
for me motivation need not be external, and usually isn't - I am motivated by personal drive, ambition etc, i.e. an interior force. Incentive gives the idea of some reward (not necessarily material, however) of external provenance

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2008-04-14 08:15:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

So, to answer your question, in the case of Cassirer, it could be either; it would depend what drove him to write it

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2008-04-14 08:19:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The Oxford Dictionary of English definitions seem to back this view up:

incentive: a thing that motivates someone to do something
motivation: a reason for acting or behaving in a particular way

an incentive is an exterior 'thing'; motivatiuon depends on interior 'reasoning'

simon tanner
Italy
Local time: 08:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Alright, one dictionary and nine human beings back you up; that makes a total of 10, which I will divide by 2.5, resulting in 4 credits. :-)

Indeed, recognition from academicians, financial problems, a love for controversy, university regulations etc., would be incentives. Thanks.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mark Nathan: Yes, good answer. So you could say that there is an incentive to answer Kudoz questions - the points- but that many people say that they are not motivated by the points, but rather something on a higher plane - helping others, linguistic excellence etc.
4 mins
  -> thanks Mark; as in the case of Kudoz, I expect it's often a variable mixture of the two!

agree  Patricia Townshend (X)
11 mins
  -> thanks Patricia

agree  Jack Doughty
15 mins
  -> thanks Jack

agree  Phong Le
35 mins
  -> thanks Phong le

agree  Vicky Nash: Good question and great answer.... made me think!
43 mins
  -> thanks Vicky; about the best compliment you could pay me!

agree  PoveyTrans (X)
1 hr
  -> thanks Simon

agree  orientalhorizon
1 hr
  -> thanks orientalhorizon

agree  Ken Cox: exactly
2 hrs
  -> thanks

agree  kmtext: That sums it up very neatly. Good answer.
2 hrs
  -> thanks very much

agree  V_Nedkov
2 hrs
  -> thanks V_N
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