Self-determination theory begins by making an important distinction: most people who think about psychology think about it as a unitary concept namely it's something that differs just an amount how can I get someone more motivated to do something how can I getthat person less motivated to do something they really the focus is always on amount but from the beginning Ryan and I have believed that it was important to think about types of motivation rather than the amount of motivation our primary distinction is between what we call autonomous motivation and controlled motivation Autonomous motivation describes or names what you're doing when you're feeling a full sense of willingness volition and choice whatever the activity is if you're doing it with a real sense of interest enjoyment and value then it's likely that you're autonomously motivated In contrast, controlled motivation refers to doing something in order to get some reward or to avoid some punishment it means doing something because you're feeling pressured demanded obliged to be doing it I think when most people think about motivation they're more often thinking about controlled motivation than autonomous motivation but we have found that when people are more autonomously motivated the performance their wellness their engagement all of those things aregreater when you're autonomously motivated than when you're controlled in your motivation so that's the the firstimportant distinction that we make in self-determination Theory the second important point is we believe that all human beings have a set of basic psychological needs the needs that we believe are important are the need for competence that is to say to feel confident and effective in relation to whatever it is you're doing second to feel relatedness that is to say to feel cared for by others to care for others to feel like you belong in various groups that are important to you and the third need is autonomy I've already said a bit about autonomy but now I'm making the point that autonomy is actually a human need and a human need is something that people must get satisfied for optimal wellness and optimal performance if they don't get it the need satisfied then there will be negative psychological consequences that follow the concept of psychological needs being universal is an important one because it's what lets us know and understand what it is that will promote autonomous motivation when people feel competent when they feel related to others and when they're feeling a sense of volition they will be autonomously motivated and the positive consequences will follow from that so the importance of this is that when you ask questions like how do you promote effective motivation in the workplace or inschools or in health care clinics wherever it is whatever domain of life you're talking about if you are interested in producing optimal outcomes the way in which you can do that as a parent or a teacher or an employer the way that you can do that is create the circumstances so that people who are learning or playing or performing for you so that they will be optimal in their outcomes what you need to be doing is supporting their basic psychological needs now when it comes to autonomous motivation there are actually two types of autonomous motivation when I first started doing this work I was very interested in the concept of intrinsic motivation to do something because you're intrinsically motivated means you do it because you find it interesting and enjoyable that contrasts with extrinsic motivation which means you do it because it leads to some separable consequence okay so intrinsic motivation is one type of autonomous motivation the other type of autonomous motivation was really developed by Richard Ryan it was he who got interested in the idea of extrinsic motivation and whether X turns motivation could be autonomous or not and what he found in research and in other research that we did together is that people can actually internalize extrinsic motivation in such a way as they own it as their own and when they do that when they understand the value of the activity that may be rewarded or requested of them when they do that and identify with the value of it and integrate it so that it's a part of themselves they will be autonomously motivated and the outcomes that you observe in such situations will be very positive."
oh wow this is so inspiring, informative and just so touching, I now understand the Self-Determination theory. I actually had tears in my eyes watching this. Thank you so much.
What a wonderful and helpful video! I am so glad I came across this as it has not only helped me with my research paper but it also left me feeling more motivated in general after understanding the theory and process better ✨
Deci & Ryan have done an incredible job with SDT. In fact, their theory is a cornerstone for a series of hypotheses I'm currently working with. Kennon M. Sheldon has also done some amazing research extending from SDT. This is a vibrant and important field of study.
Wow, what a charming guy. I just wanted to check out how to pronounce his name for my oral exam but I watched the whole video, very interesting to listen to.
Thanks for this, Ed! I have posted a link in the course on motivation in human development that I teach each semester at the Warner School of Education, University of Rochester.
Thank you sir, I feel really delighted when I watched this video from the person who is describing his own theory (Self-determination theory) and it intrinsically motivates me. This video should take millions of likes, not hundreds.
It is a simple recall of words. Knowing the definition and vernacular of what's being discussed or learned. Thanks to repetition,"seeing the forest through the trees, it becomes extrinsic as it is intrinsic."
I believe there is a deep truth in SDT that goes way beyond motivation; to me it has a universal explanatory power that explains a lot of the more complex human behavior, and it also helps to talk about freedom without descending into the rabbit hole of "free will". It is also compatible with the theory of the mind being a probabilistic computer, and choice being the outcome of computation. The three SDT needs also in my mind seem to correspond with three main political movements: Autonomy is the main value in liberalism, social inclusion is the focus of socialism, and conservatism represents the need for competence, which requires order and rules to be able to successfully predict and control outcomes. Good politics would be politics that that satisfy all needs, and if politics puts one of these needs too high above the others, bad things happen. It maybe a bit of a stretch, but I believe there is truth in it. Are there any studies or theories about this?
I don’t know if there are studies on this link. But I’ve wondered things along the same lines. I think SDT implies very strong political policies. The SDT book (2017 I think) does develop some of those political implications. Thanks for sharing your thought. Just wanted you to know some of us have seen those links as well. 👊🏼
Dr Edward Deci, I found this information most interesting. I do not have the competency to extrapolate from this theory. Would you be willing to give us an example of the steps it would take to instil extrinsic motivation into oneself? Or would you let me know where I would find this information? Please.
Looking for resources on how to recover from one's curiosity being damaged. I used to be so intensely curious about everything, especially science, just for the sake of knowing how things worked. I let one bad professor get to me somehow, and I've only been passively interested in things ever since, no true curiosity. I was born to be a scientist, and was frustrated that the appeal was completely gone. After that class I decided not to continue on to grad school and my life took a completely different path. I know I can't get my old life back, but is there a way to get the old me back? Can people recover from having their intrisic motivation and curiosity wiped out after it's been 10 years?
Thankyou for the video. I am interested in this theory. However I still have a question, If intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are types of autonomous motivation, what about amotivation? is amotivation a type of controlled motivation?
Thanks for this, I really like this SDT theory! I wonder if there's any difference between intrinsic motivation and internalised extrinsic motivation, though they all belong to autonomous motivation. Can we say an internalised extrinsic motivation actually becomes an intrinsic motivation?
interesting, I am trying to find out what exactly is my motivation of riding a Harley, I am amazed by Harley, but I also doubt that I like to ride a Harley because I feel others look at me in a positive way. I have not found out the true motivation...
I was confused at first too. I think that any form of motivation (extrinsic or intrinsic) that is internalised is considered autonomous. Intrinsic motivation is the most internalised form of motivation (doing things that are interesting to you and you would experience enjoyment while doing so). Types of extrinsic motivation can be considered controlling or autonomous. Extrinsic motivation that is not internalised will result in behaviours that are controlled by external pressures such as rewards and punishments. Extrinsic motivation that is internalised will result in behaviours that are congruent to one's beliefs and values, and pursue actions towards their internalised goals. The difference between internalised-extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation is that the behaviours of an intrinsically motivated individuals are done out of interest, curiosity and enjoyment, whereas behaviours of internalised-extrinsic motivation are done because they view an activity to be important for their goals (but not necessarily fun or interesting).
@@PenCil5899 if I could add to what you have beautifully explained: Extrinsic motivation when internalised, could convert into intrinsic motivation with all the characteristics associated with intrinsic like enjoyment ect..that you have mentioned.
