Sources of Motivation and Self-Determination Theory

What is motivation?

• Conscious or unconscious force that drives behaviour.

What is motive?

• Desires behind goal-directed behaviour.

What are the 4 sources of motivation?

1. Social

2. Physiological

3. Emotional

4. Cognitions

What is social motivation and an example?

• How individual or group behaviour is influenced by presence and behaviour of others.

• e.g. peer pressure

What is physiological motivation and an example?

• Bodily functions and sensations.

• e.g. thirst.

What is emotional motivation and an example?

• Conscious mental reactions subjectively experienced as strong feelings.

• e.g. fear.

What is cognitions motivation and an example?

• Conscious mental activities.

• e.g. thinking.

Who proposed the Self-Determination Theory?

• Deci and Ryan (1985)

What did Deci and Ryan’s (1985) theory outline?

• Concepts of amotivation, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation as well as three psychological needs for motivation.

What is amotivation?

• Lack of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation.

What is non-regulation?

• Non-intentional

• Lack of control

• Incompetence

When do people become amotivated toward a behaviour?

• When environment does not allow for behaviour to be carried out competently.

What is extrinsic motivation and an example?

• Motivation that stems from desire for external rewards.

• e.g. respect from other people.

What are the 4 types of extrinsic motivation?

1. External regulation

2. Introjected regulation

3. Identified regulation

4. Integrated regulation

What is external regulation?

• Rewards and punishment

• Compliance

What is introjected regulation?

• Self-control

• Internal rewards and punishments

What is identified regulation?

• Conscious valuing

• Personal importance

What is integrated regulation?

• Congruence

• Awareness

• Synthesis with self

What is intrinsic motivation and an example?

• Motivation driven by inner desire for self-satisfaction arising from achieving specific goal.

• e.g. self-gratification.

What is intrinsic regulation?

• Interest

• Enjoyment

• Inherent satisfaction

What are the 3 psychological needs for motivation?

1. Relatedness

2. Autonomy

3. Competence

What is relatedness?

• Closeness and belonging with others.

What does satisfying relatedness do?

• Contributes to overall well-being.

What is autonomy?

• Sense of control.

What does satisfying autonomy do?

• Improves well-being and leads to increased motivation.

What is competence?

• Belief in one’s ability to achieve desired outcomes.

What does satisfying competence do?

• Increases likelihood individual will feel satisfaction from overcoming obstacles and engaging in their pursuits.

What are 2 strengths of the Self-Determination Theory?

1. Widely applicable across different cultures and contexts.

2. Large body of evidence to support theory.

What are 2 limitations of the Self-Determination Theory?

1. Lacks falsifiability

2. Does not account for social and cultural factors that influence motivation.

What is the application of the Self-Determination Theory to a real-world context?

• Students can be provided with opportunities to make decisions on what and how they will learn, be presented with meaningful and achievable challenges, and encouraged to develop positive relationships their peers and educators.