Learning skills and types of temperaments as discriminants between intrinsically and extrinsically motivated children

Intrinsic motivation as a personality orientation and its relationship to learning skills, types of temperament, and curiosity ratings was investigated at kindergarten age. 236 kindergarten children were given the picture motivation scale and the Adelphi parent administered readiness test. The teachers rated the children on Thomas, Chess, and Birch's types of temperament and on 9 categories of curiosity and creativity from the California Child Q set. A discriminant function analysis indicated significant discrimination between intrinsically and extrinsically motivated children on sex, writing ability, visual perception, vividness-energy, persistence, and attention span. A differential cognitive functions explanation is offered.