"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."
Theory explaining that human beings are motivated by the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in their lives.
Autonomy: The need to feel in control of one's own life and choices.
Competence: The need to feel capable and effective in one's actions and accomplishments.
Relatedness: The need to feel connected and supported by others.
Intrinsic motivation: Behavior driven by internal interests, values, and enjoyment.
Extrinsic motivation: Behavior driven by external rewards or punishment.
Basic needs theory: The idea that humans have innate needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Cognitive evaluation theory: Explores how extrinsic rewards can either support or undermine intrinsic motivation.
Goal setting: The process of setting and working towards specific objectives.
Self-regulation: The ability to monitor and adjust one's own behavior and emotions.
Flow theory: The experience of being fully engaged in a task and losing sense of time and self.
Psychological needs thwarting: When one's basic needs are not supported, leading to negative outcomes such as low motivation or well-being.
Need satisfaction: When basic needs are met, leading to positive outcomes such as increased motivation or well-being.
Self-determination: The ability to make choices and take actions based on one's own interests, values, and goals.
Humanistic psychology: A perspective on psychology that emphasizes human potential and well-being.
Social-contextual approaches: Exploring how social factors shape motivation and behavior, including culture, social norms, and interpersonal relationships.
Intrinsic Motivation: This type of motivation comes from within, and is characterized by performing actions because they are inherently interesting, enjoyable, or satisfying to the individual. Intrinsic motivation is associated with higher levels of engagement, creativity, and persistence in activities.
Identified Regulation: This type of motivation involves more external regulation, but still reflects a sense of personal choice and value placed on the action. Individuals performing actions because they find them meaningful and consistent with their values are considered to be motivated by identified regulation.
Integrated Regulation: This type of motivation reflects the internalization and integration of external regulation into one's personal identity. Individuals performing actions because they see them as necessary for achieving their goals and aspirations are considered to be motivated by integrated regulation.
Introjected Regulation: This type of motivation reflects the internalization of external pressure and demands, often resulting in feelings of guilt or shame if the action is not performed. For example, an individual who exercises because they feel guilty for not exercising is motivated by introjected regulation.
External Regulation: This type of motivation involves performing actions because of external rewards, punishments, or pressures. Individuals performing actions because of external contingencies, like a reward or punishment, are considered to be motivated by external regulation.
Amotivation: This type of motivation reflects a lack of motivation or interest in an activity, either because the activity is deemed not important, uninteresting or viewed as beyond one's ability to do.
"In the 1970s, research on SDT evolved from studies comparing intrinsic and extrinsic motives, and from growing understanding of the dominant role that intrinsic motivation played in individual behavior."
"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 that SDT was formally introduced and accepted as a sound empirical theory."
"Since the 2000s, research into practical applications of SDT has increased significantly."
"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)."
"Internalization refers to the active attempt to transform an extrinsic motive into personally endorsed values and thus assimilate behavioral regulations that were originally external."
"Edward Deci and Richard Ryan later expanded on the early work differentiating between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and proposed three main intrinsic needs involved in self-determination."
"According to Deci and Ryan, three basic psychological needs motivate self-initiated behavior and specify essential nutrients for individual psychological health and well-being."
"The first basic psychological need is the universal and innate need for autonomy."
"Autonomy refers to the degree to which individuals' behavior is experienced as volitional and self-endorsed."
"The second basic psychological need is the need for competence."
"Competence refers to a sense of effectiveness and mastery in one's interactions with the environment."
"The third basic psychological need is the need for relatedness."
"Relatedness refers to the feeling of being connected to others, caring for others, and having others care for oneself."
"SDT focuses on the degree to which human behavior is self-motivated and self-determined."
"SDT emphasizes people's innate growth tendencies and innate psychological needs behind their choices, in the absence of external influences and distractions."
"Intrinsic motivation is initiated by finding an activity interesting and fulfilling in itself, while extrinsic motivation is driven by external goals."
"Internalization is the active process of assimilating external motives into personally endorsed values."
"The essential nutrients for individual psychological health and well-being are the fulfillment of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness."
"Research into practical applications of SDT has significantly increased since the 2000s."