Behavior
In the previous section we have summarized research that links the task assessments to the dimensions of behavior shown in Figure 1. Two of these dimensions are also characteristic of extrinsic motivation: activity (as opposed to passivity) and concentration of energy upon task.
These two dimensions translate roughly into focused effort or "working hard." What is distinctive about intrinsically motivated behavior is that this effort is not dependent upon the supervision of others nor upon rewards mediated by
others. Thus, individuals may not only work in the absence of close supervision, but also they may demonstrate flexibility in controlling their own task accomplishment, initiation of new tasks as problems or opportunities arise, and resiliency
to obstacles, sustaining motivation in the face of problems or ambiguity.
Other things being equal, the behaviors in Element 3 of the model increase the likelihood that individuals will achieve outcomes that will, in tum, provide further evidence of competence, choice, and impact on meaningful goals. Thus,
the task assessments, through their effects upon behavior and subsequent outcomes, have some tendency to initiate self-reinforcing cycles. The task assessments, in other words, have some of the qualities of self-fulfilling prophecies. Low assessments may initiate debilitating cycles of inactivity, low initiative, and so on, which produce
further evidence of low impact, lack of competence, and so forth. In contrast, high situational assessments may lead to self-enhancing cycles that strengthen or confirm those assessments. The discussion now turns to the two intrapersonal
elements of the model that help to explain variations in task assessments-global assessments and interpretive styles