Self-determination theory

This article is about the psychology theory. For the self-determination in politics, see Self-determination.

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Self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of human motivation and personality that concerns people's innate growth tendencies and innate psychological needs. It pertains to the motivation behind people's choices in the absence of external influences and distractions. SDT focuses on the degree to which human behavior is self-motivated and self-determined.[1][2][3]

In the 1970s, research on SDT evolved from studies comparing intrinsic and extrinsic motives,[4] and from growing understanding of the dominant role that intrinsic motivation played in individual behavior.[5] It was not until the mid-1980s, when Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan wrote a book titled Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior,[6] that SDT was formally introduced and accepted as having sound empirical evidence. Since the 2000s, research into practical applications of SDT has increased significantly.[7]

The key research that led to the emergence of SDT was about intrinsic motivation.[8] Intrinsic motivation refers to initiating an activity because it is interesting and satisfying in itself to do so, as opposed to doing an activity for the purpose of obtaining an external goal (extrinsic motivation). A taxonomy of motivations has been described based on the degree to which they are internalized. Internalization refers to the active attempt to transform an extrinsic motive into personally endorsed values and thus assimilate behavioral regulations that were originally external.[9]

Deci and Ryan later expanded on their early work differentiating between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and proposed three main intrinsic needs involved in self-determination.[10][11] According to Deci and Ryan, three basic psychological needs motivate self-initiated behavior and specify essential nutrients for individual psychological health and well-being. These needs are said to be the universal and innate. The three needs are for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.[1]

  1. ^ a b Ryan, R. M.; Deci, E. L. (2000). "Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being". American Psychologist. 55 (1): 68–78. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68. hdl:20.500.12749/2107. PMID 11392867. S2CID 1887672.
  2. ^ Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Motivation, personality, and development within embedded social contexts: An overview of self-determination theory. In R. M. Ryan (Ed.), Oxford handbook of human motivation (pp. 85-107). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
  3. ^ Ryan, R. M. & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. New York: Guilford Publishing.
  4. ^ Morris, Laurel S.; Grehl, Mora M.; Rutter, Sarah B.; Mehta, Marishka; Westwater, Margaret L. (July 2022). "On what motivates us: a detailed review of intrinsic v. extrinsic motivation". Psychological Medicine. 52 (10): 1801–1816. doi:10.1017/S0033291722001611. ISSN 0033-2917. PMC 9340849. PMID 35796023.
  5. ^ e.g. Lepper, M. K., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. (1973). Undermining children's intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the "overjustification" hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28, 129–137.
  6. ^ Deci, Edward L.; Ryan, Richard M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. New York: Plenum. doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7. ISBN 978-0-306-42022-1.
  7. ^ Vallerand, Robert J. (January 1, 2000). "Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory: A View from the Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation". Psychological Inquiry. 11 (4): 312–318.
  8. ^ e.g. Deci, E. L. (1971). Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18, 105–115.
  9. ^ Ryan, R (1995). "Psychological needs and the facilitation of integrative processes". Journal of Personality. 63 (3): 397–427. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1995.tb00501.x. PMID 7562360.
  10. ^ Deci, E., & Ryan, R. (1991). A motivational approach to self: Integration in personality'. In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation: Vol. 38. Perspectives on motivation (pp. 237–288). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
  11. ^ Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1995). Human autonomy: The basis for true self-esteem. In M. Kernis (Ed.), Efficacy, agency, and self-esteem (pp. 3149). New York: Plenum.