# 53. Social manipulation ## 53.5. Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 53.5.5. Extrinsic incentives bias This is the phenomenon where people assume that they themselves are motivated by intrinsic motivations, (i.e. pure academic interest), but that everyone else is only driven by extrinsic motivations (money, status etc). Types of motivation: Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, it exists within the individual rather than relying on any external pressure. Intrinsic motivation is based on taking pleasure in an activity rather than working towards an external reward. Extrinsic motivation refers to the performance of an activity in order to attain an outcome. Common extrinsic motivations are rewards like money and status, and / or threats like physical punishment, exclusion etc. Competition is generally considered extrinsic, because it encourages the performer to win and beat others. Manipulative uses: A manipulator can take advantage of this particular bias by convincing a victim that they are morally superior to others because their motivation is driven by higher motives. The willing victim can thus be persuaded to ignore their interests in more material rewards like money and status.