The role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in young people’s political interest

Embracing an agentic perspective, in this study we investigate whether intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to pay attention to the news lies behind young people’s political interest and its development over time. A total of five samples of Swedish youths aged 13 to 30 years were utilized in the study, with each sample being followed for a period of four years. The findings indicated that youth who were motivated to follow the news reported higher levels of political interest than those who were not, across all age groups. The results also validated the study’s hypothesis that young people’s intrinsic motivation to inform themselves is positively associated to political interest. On the contrary, extrinsic motivation to follow the news was not cross-sectionally associated to political interest but it predicted a decrease in political interest, particularly during early adolescence. The results indicate that a delicate balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations must be struck to stimulate adolescents’ interest in politics, as approaching politics through the desire for social recognition may be detrimental.