Self-Determination Theory

3. Applications for intervention?

Autonomy Support, Structure (competence), Involvement (relatedness)

Identified regulation

- A conscious acceptance of the behavior as being important in order to achieve personally valued outcomes - Valued outcome provides a strong incentive that can override difficulties in maintaining behavior " I will exercise today because my doctor says it will help control my bp and I know that's important."

Limitations

- Assumes that individuals have inherent evolved tendencies towards growth: may be overly optimistic - Does not directly include many factors that may influence behavior - Because the theory is broad-based, elements can be difficult to operationalize

4. According to self-determination theory, what is the role of the environment in behavior change?

- Behavior is largely shaped by motivation and motivation is shaped by the environment -- also influenced by the socio-contexual conditions in which the behavior occurs ---- Sociocultural context can help or hinder motivation by supporting or thwarting (preventing) these needs - People are driven by outcome expectations and these expectancies are shaped by self-efficacy and the environment - Facilitating Environment

Strengths

- Broad- based theory of human motivation - Take a positivist perspective recognizing the inherent tendencies of individuals to strive for growth and integration - Recognizes the impact of the socio-cultural on behavior - Has a well-developed technique associated with it: motivational interviewing - Has been applied in physical activity-related interventions with positive results

Extrinsic Motivation

- Driven by external pressures - Pressures imposed by significant others to attain tangible rewards or to avoid punishment - Unlikely to continue if the external pressures are diminished or taken away - Low self-determination

Introjected regulation

- External regulation is taken but not accepted as one's own -- Swallowed whole but not digested -- Controls are applied through self-imposed pressures in order to avoid guilt or to maintain self-esteem -- Internally controlling regulation -- Accompanied by a negative emotional tone, tension, and an inner conflict between the self-imposed to engage in the behavior and the failure to value it - "I will exercise today because if I don't I feel like I'll let you down."

Involvement (relatedness)

- Help to ensure that significant others relevant to a behavior understand the person's position and the difficulties they are facing, and are genuinely interested in them and their well-being - As a practitioner: --Show genuine interest and warmth --Express empathy and non-judgmental support --Avoid confrontation or criticism

Intrinsic Motivation

- Interest and enjoyment - The natural inherent drive to seek out challenges and new possibilities that are associated with cognitive and social development - Engaging in the behavior willingly for the satisfaction inherent in the behavior itself - Increased self-determination

SDT: an Organismic dialectical approach

- People are active organisms with evolved tendencies towards growth, mastering ambient changes, and integrating new experiences into coherent sense of self - Tendencies require ongoing support from the social environment - Social context can either support an individual's natural tendencies towards active engagement and growth or thwart tendencies through lack of integration, defense, and fulfillment of needs with unhealthy substitutes - Dialect refers to the dialogue or discussion between the active organism and the social context

Autonomy

- Relates to the feeling that one is acting freely in accord with one's sense of self - When acting autonomously, individuals feel that they are causal agents with respect to their actions - A sense of choosing rather than feeling compelled or controlled - Internally vs externally controlled behavior --Behavioral regulation that comes from within an individual is not necessarily motivationally adaptive - Autonomy is NOT independence

Integrated regulation

- The assimilation of identified regulation so that engaging in the behavior is fully congruent with one's sense of self - When integrate one experiences a sense of coherence between what one does and who one is - Similar to intrinsic regulation in that the behavior is engaged in willingly with no sense of coercion and is therefore fully self-determined -- but behavior is still engaged in for separable outcomes rather than for pure satisfaction "I will exercise today because it is good for my health and I want to be a healthier person."

Competence

- The need to feel that one can reliably produce desired outcomes and/or avoid negative outcomes - Requires: an understanding of the relationship between a behavior and its consequences -- Outcome expectations --Strategy beliefs: beliefs concerning the necessary availability of behaviors to produce desired outcomes - A need to feel capable of successfully engaging in the behavior --Efficacy expectations --Capacity beliefs: belief about one's capabilities to perform the behavior that is needed to produce the desired outcome

Facilitating Environment

- The social environment can facilitate or thwart the integrative tendency to the extent that the psychological needs are nurtured or thwarted - "When the social environment provides the nurturance of psychological needs, the person will move towards integration and unified sense of self, and develop the personal resources for engaging in adaptive self-regulation of behavior." - "When perceived as controlling and rejecting of one's needs the integrative tendency will be thwarted, often leading to defensive behaviors and behavioral and psychological withdrawal."

Implications for intervention

- Traditional Approach (used for SCT): influence behavior through shaping, training, modifying controlling - Organismic Approach (SDT): influence behavior through facilitating, supporting, nurturing --- facilitate natural tendencies for growth to help client make changes they want/desire.

Amotivation

- state of lacking any intention to engage in behavior and is a completely non self-determined form of regulation -- Results from not valuing any activity, not feeling competent to engage in it and/or not feeling that it will produce desired outcomes -- "I don't have any desire to exercise, I don't know how, and I'm not doing it."

Relatedness

-The need to feel close to others and emotionally secure in one's relationships - The sense that significant others care about one's well-being - Provides a secure base that makes the expression of the innate growth more likely and more robust

1. What are the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? Be able to come up with a concrete example for each.

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5. What are the major strengths and limitations of this theory?

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Autonomy Support

Encourage individuals to - Determine what is important for them - Initiate actions themselves and for their own reasons - Recognize that they can exercise choice and self-direction regarding their behavior - Explore available options - Minimize pressure to engage in the behavior

Structure (competence)

Encourage individuals to - Develop clear and realistic expectations about what behavior change could do for them - Formulate realistically achievable goals - Believe that they are capable of engaging in the appropriate behaviors - Provide positive informational feedback regarding progress

SDT continuum

amotivation-> external regulation-> introjected regulation-> identified regulation-> integrated regulation-> intrinsic regulation

2. Describe the 3 basic (psychological) needs included in self-determination theory.

autonomy, competence, relatedness