Internal motivation for learning is manifested in coincidence of subjective motives with the social goals of the learning process; it is characterized by harmonious correlation between components of the internal structure representing the object content of the learning activity. External motivation is manifested in the discrepancy of subjective motives with the social goals of learning which is accompanied by corresponding inversions in the structure of the internal representation of the learning activity. Determinants of both types of motivation are discussed, as well as possible mechanisms and paths of their development.