DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

psychological sense around and after the age 30 transition, so that men may get in
touch with their more feminine side, and women may allow their masculine side out.
The Limits of an Extrinsic Orientation
The extrinsic-intrinsic construct was initially formulated to understand
motivated action. It has been extended to consider stable differences in personality.
An intrinsic orientation is a general disposition to undertake activities for the
enjoyment of the task, for appreciation of the present moment and for fulfilment, and
such an orientation permeates most of life’s activities at home and at work. An
extrinsic orientation is a general disposition to act for later reward and to conform to
the wishes of others at the expense of one’s own. Kasser (2002) has found that
extrinsically orientated individuals are generally materialistic, status-focused,
concerned for social approval and interested in ego-enhancement through fame or
renown. Money is almost always a pre-occupation of the extrinsically orientated
person, and actions are often initiated to maximise its gain. Intrinsically oriented
individuals are more focused on enjoyment of work and home life, while
relationships, community involvement, individuality and self-expression are also main
concerns.
Personality researchers have found a variety of outcomes related to the
intrinsic-extrinsic orientation trait. Intrinsically oriented individuals are more
“personally expressive” (Waterman et al., 2003), more “growth-focused” (Raymond
Knee et al., 2002), have a more integrated sense of selfhood, greater life satisfaction
and a greater sense of well-being (Sheldon, Reis & Ryan, 1996). In contrast,
extrinsically motivated individuals show less life satisfaction, show less consistency
between self and behaviour (Waterman et al., 2003), have more conflictual
relationships (Sheldon, Ryan, Deci & Kasser, 2004), and have a more fragile sense of
self worth (Arndt, Schimel, Greenberg & Pyszczynski, 2002). Kasser (2002) has also
shown that materialistic individuals have on average worse mental and physical health
than those who value the opposite.
The findings of this study suggest that an extrinsic orientation may have
fundamental limitations that may predispose an individual to crisis, if that person
has a pre-existing intrinsic sense of vocation. An extrinsic orientation produces
an equilibrium of lower quality than an intrinsically driven life structure if the
person in question shows early signs of an intrinsic aspiration or passion, because
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