Self-Determination and Self-Identity Theory

ethnocentrism

social identity example of when individuals see their own social group as superior to other social groups

organismic paradigm

people are active organisms motivated to assimilation and integrate, views individual as living whole that develops through stages emphasizing continuous growth in response to its social environment

two types of motivation

autonomous and controlled

autonomous motivation

internal drive to act because of one’s values, interests, or enjoyment, when 3 basic psychological needs are met

controlled motivation

feeling of being pushed to act by external forces, like rewards or fear of punishment, rather than from internal interest or values, occurs when 3 psychological needs are not met

three psychological needs

autonomy, competence, relatedness

autonomy

feeling one has choice and willingly endorsing one’s behavior

supported by: attempting to understand one’s preferences, perspectives, point of view, providing choice in how to behave, refraining from control or pressure

results in: higher motivation, increased creativity, greater well-being

competence

experience of mastery and being effective in one’s activity

supported by: providing person with challenges and opportunities, encouraging sense of initiation, providing structure

results in: persistence, higher motivation

meta-analysis of 184 SDT-based study

focused on the health domain

six types of motivation on a continuum of self-regulation

nonregulation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation, intrinsic motivation

amotivation

absence of motivation and intent to act

external regulation

acting to gain external rewards or avoid punishment, such as getting a good grade or to not be yelled at

introjected regulation

motivation driven by internal pressure, such as guilt or to avoid disapproval 

identified regulation

acting because you personally value the behavior and understand its importance, even if you don’t find it interesting

integrated regulation

when the behaviors value is fully integrated into one’s own sense of self, identity, and broader life goals

intrinsic motivation

acting out of inherent interest, enjoyment, and satisfaction from the activity itself without any external or internal pressure

social identity can help explain

when and how individuals transform their group affiliations to secure a favorable self-concept and how people’s sense of self is shaped by their group memberships

how social identity connects to a person’s self concept

providing a crucial part of who a person is through their membership in social groups, the “we” identity

social categorization

people categorize themselves and others into ingroups and outgroups

social identification

people identify with groups that they are part of