Multifaceted Nature of Intrinsic Motivation: The Theory of 16 Basic Desires

TLDR

White (1959) proposed that intrinsic motives such as curiosity, autonomy, and play possess distinct characteristics, yet evidence for shared mastery is anecdotal, intrinsic enjoyment is overstated, and no scientific commonality differentiates them from drives. The study aims to develop an empirically testable theory of 16 basic desires. The theory is grounded in psychometric research and subsequent behavioral validation. The 16 desires are largely unrelated and may have distinct evolutionary histories.

Abstract

R. W. White (1959) proposed that certain motives, such as curiosity, autonomy, and 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 differentiate 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.