Rewarding my Self. The role of Self Esteem and Self Determination in Motivation Crowding Theory

The paper aims to reconcile different explanations (and consequences) of the motivation crowding theory in a unique theoretical framework where the locus of control is introduced in a one period maximisation problem and the intrinsic motivation is assumed as an exogenous psychological attitude. The analysis is based on the distinction among different types of objectives of the intrinsic motivation. For each type of objective, the different role of self esteem and self determination mechanisms determine different conditions for crowding out of intrinsic motivation, depending on the self determination sensitivity, its impact on the motivated good and the individual belief about one’s own self.