The Links Between Personality and Motivation

At an individual level, our motivation can ebb and flow. However, if we zoom out and assess motivation levels across the entire population, we may notice that some people are easier to motivate than others [1]. Like happiness, most people seem to have a baseline level of motivation [2]. Many factors, including personal experiences, biology, and personality traits, seem to play a role in these differences.

Psychologists have studied the links between personality and motivation since Abraham Maslow published his Hierarchy of Needs in 1943. Recent research has linked high and low baseline motivation with specific personality traits. For example, extraversion is connected with high motivation, while an external locus of control is correlated with low motivation.

According to Maslow, our personalities reflect our physical and psychological needs. According to this theory, our motivation stems from our desire to fulfill our basic needs, such as:

Since Maslow’s work, behavioral psychologists have found many other links between motivation and personality.

How Personality Affects Reward and Risk Perceptions

We engage in motivated behaviors because we perceive that the outcome of that action will be rewarding. Rewards can be internal, such as satisfaction or mastery, or external, like money, recognition, or praise.

While some rewards seem universally appealing, there are significant variances in how much a reward can influence an individual’s behavior. Reward sensitivity is a biological and personality trait that can affect how much external rewards impact a person’s decision-making.

There is some evidence that people with high reward sensitivity have a more reactive behavioral activation system (BAS), a brain region that regulates reward-seeking behaviors [3]. As a result, they are more easily encouraged by external rewards than people with moderate or low reward sensitivities. High reward sensitivity also correlates with personality traits like impulsivity and passion [4]. 

Rewards are not the only force that can motivate behavior. People also engage in actions to minimize risk and avoid punishment. Avoidance motivation activates the behavioral inhibition system (BIS), which processes uncertainty. People with a high BIS may perceive negative outcomes more strongly and are more risk-averse than others [5]. As a result, they are more likely to perform motivated behaviors to avoid negative outcomes. A high BIS is also linked with anxious personalities.

Motivation and the Five Domains of Personality

The Big Five is a leading personality theory that analyzes personality based on five main domains, collectively known as OCEAN.

OCEAN domains can predict some patterns of motivated behavior. As mentioned above, people with high reward sensitivity are more impulsive, which means they would rank lower on contentiousness. High reward sensitivity is also more commonly found in people with high extraversion scores [6].

Personality domains can also explain why some motivators are more successful at driving some people’s behaviors than others. For example, people with high openness are more likely to interpret information as rewarding [7]. So, they are more motivated to perform information-seeking behaviors, such as learning or exploring. In fact, openness traits like curiosity and innovation may result from a higher reward sensitivity for information.

High Conscientiousness traits like discipline and organization positively correlate with achievement motivation or the drive to attain excellence [8]. People with high conscientiousness are also more likely to be driven by intrinsic rewards rather than external ones [9].

Motivation and the Four Tendencies

After investigating the intersection between personality and motivation, author Gretchen Rubin developed the Four Tendencies framework. This framework categorizes people based on their responses to internal and external expectations. All tendencies can be motivated, but each type responds best to a different approach.

Upholders

Upholders are responsive to outside and personal expectations. They have high conscientiousness, moderate to low openness, and can be less agreeable. Upholders are reward-motivated but also feel an intrinsic reward after accomplishing tasks.

Here’s an example. Jenna the Upholder excels as an executive assistant because she becomes motivated by her tasks, external deadlines, and meeting or exceeding her standards. However, she can be a perfectionist and prefers certainty.

Obligers

Obligers are highly motivated by external expectations but tend to undervalue intrinsically rewarding behaviors. They usually score high on agreeableness and greatly value supporting people around them. To complete personally or intrinsically rewarding tasks, they may require social forms of motivation, such as accountability.

Here’s an example: Mark the Obliger excels at meeting his sales quotas because he knows his team is counting on him. But he drags his feet on his personal development goals because the outcome only impacts him.

Questioners

Questioners are not highly motivated by inner or outer expectations alone. Instead, they are motivated by outcomes. As a result, they can be low in agreeableness and place high importance on facts and data.

Here’s an example: Sasha the Questioner is passionate about some areas of his university studies. He can focus for hours when he feels the learning material is relevant and engaging. However, Sasha is far less intrigued by his casual job, as it has little to do with his major. For this reason, he often has difficulty following through on work assignments.

Rebels

Rebels lack internal and external motivation. Instead, they are motivated to perform behaviors that align with their self-perception. In the self-determination theory of motivation, identified and integrated regulation are two forms of intrinsic motivation based on identity and values. Rebels can increase their motivation by linking behaviors to their sense of self. Additionally, rebels are sensitive to negative outcomes, especially if they are implied by others [10].

Here’s an example: Larry the Rebel can become highly motivated to prove others wrong or avoid a predicted outcome. When his high school French teacher told him he’d never be fluent, he dedicated 7 hours a day to studying. Now, he speaks French for a living as an interpreter for the United Nations.

Curious about your tendency? Find out here: The Four Tendencies Quiz.

Amotivation and Personality

So, there are many ways that personality impacts high motivation. In contrast, low motivation may also be linked to an individual’s disposition. For example, Locus of Control (LOC) is a personality trait related to how much control a person perceives they have over their lives.

Someone with an external LOC may believe outside forces largely determine their destiny. This trait can diminish motivation, as people with an external LOC do not believe their efforts can yield tangible results [11].

Summary

There are many proven and theorized links between personality and motivation. As many personality traits are related to genetics, it may be reasonable to conclude that motivation levels are similarly set.

However, we can find ways to increase our motivation by focusing on factors we can control. For example, we can find an accountability partner, link the task to our values, or give ourselves an incentive. Regarding motivation, working with your personality rather than against it will help you achieve better results.