Final answer:
The four building blocks of intrinsic rewards and motivation are autonomy, mastery, purpose, and progress. These elements help to cultivate internal satisfaction and drive, playing a significant role in job satisfaction and motivation in both work and educational environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four building blocks of intrinsic rewards and motivation are autonomy, mastery, purpose, and progress. These factors contribute to a person's internal satisfaction and drive to perform a task for its own sake, rather than for external rewards such as money or praise. Autonomy refers to the control individuals have over their work; mastery is the sense of skill and competence they develop; purpose is the meaningfulness or importance of the task; and progress is the perception of making headway in what they are doing.
Research indicates that intrinsic motivation can be undermined by certain types of extrinsic motivators, especially when they are expected. On the other hand, unexpected extrinsic rewards, like surprise praise, may not have the same detrimental effect on intrinsic motivation. The blend of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators can influence overall job satisfaction, with autonomy being a particularly strong predictor. Furthermore, the sense of belonging, respect, challenge, and understanding the rationale behind tasks can enhance intrinsic motivation in educational settings.