External regulation

With external regulation, behaviour is entirely controlled from outside: by a prize, a salary, praise or the threat of sanctions. There is almost no interest in the activity itself — only the external outcome counts. This kind of motivation works fast but collapses easily as soon as the incentive disappears.

An athlete on external regulation trains "for the medal", "so the coach doesn't shout" or "for the scholarship". While the rewards keep coming they stay active, but when the rewards stop the motivation collapses — hence the high risk of loss of motivation. Leaning too heavily on such incentives often intensifies pressure from parents and turns sport into an obligation.

The share of external regulation in your motivational profile is shown by the sport motivation scales in the tests section. A high score on this type specifically is a signal that the activity is being held up by external props. That is a reason to rebuild motivation toward more autonomous forms.

To reduce dependence on rewards, exercises that search out the personal meaning of training and move attention from result to process both help. It is useful to consciously notice the enjoyment of the movement itself and of getting better. The practices are in the exercises section.

External regulation is the starting point of the self-determination continuum; the next step up is introjected regulation. Its opposite is the autonomous forms such as identified regulation. Relying on external incentives alone is directly connected to loss of motivation.