The hum around the tennis world has quickly become the buzz around every news station, the suspicion of several players involved in match-fixing. This is BIG news and BIG trouble for these players, but if you were in these player shoes would you do anything differently? You may think, no one is ever going to pay me a million dollars to be involved in a match-fixing scheme, but when we rely on extrinsic motivation (such as money or rewards), it can lead us to a downward spiral.

The New York Daily News recently reported a study conducted by onepoll.com that found that 15% of people would knowingly bet on a fixed sport match for just $1,000 profit. 12% of the men surveyed said that they would commit murder for a billion dollars. Money is a motivator for many.

What extrinsic motivators have an influence on your actions?

Extrinsic motivation can be as simple as, if you win this game, I will take you out for ice cream. It can also be more forceful, like “if I lose this game, I know my dad won’t talk to me for a couple of days.”

In contrast, when we rely on intrinsic motivators (or inner motivation), we are less likely to fall prey to questionable moral decisions. We are motivated internally when we value the personal growth a sport provides, such as how to problem solve or how to stay calm and focused under pressure.

All of our actions have consequences, what will your actions cost you?