Multifaceted nature of intrinsic motivation: the theory of 16 basic desires

play (called intrinsic motives, or IMs), have common characteristics that distinguish them from drives. The evidence that mastery is common to IMs is anecdotal, not scientific. The assertion that “intrinsic enjoyment ” is common to IMs exaggerates the significance of pleasure in human motivation and expresses the hedonistic fallacy of confusing consequence for cause. Nothing has been shown scientifically to be common to IMs that differentiates them from drives. An empirically testable theory of 16 basic desires is put forth based on psychometric research and subsequent behavior validation. The desires are largely unrelated to each other and may have different evolutionary histories. Motives are reasons people hold for initiating and performing voluntary behavior. They indi-cate the meaning of human behavior, and they may reveal a person’s values. Motives often affect a person’s perception, cognition, emo-tion, and behavior. A person who is highl