Constructs of Self Determination Theory

THEORY REVIEW TEMPLATE

THEORY REVIEW #1

Write the central research question for your research

How can the problem of low graduation rates among black non-Hispanic students at Glendale Community College be addressed?

List the first reference in current APA

· Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-Determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. 10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68

Identify the primary theorists. List them

Richard M. Ryan

Edward L. Deci

In 5 – 10 sentences, summarize the theory using citations (write this as if this were to be used in the actual theoretical framework section of your applied research report)

Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory highlights the conditions that foster personality integration and self-motivation in human beings (Ryan & Deci, 2000). The theory’s main idea is that motivation drives performance, persistence and intention, and that people are motivated either intrinsically because they value or have an interest in the activity itself or extrinsically because they face external pressure or coercion (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Empirical comparisons have shown that intrinsic or self-authored motivation ultimately results in more persistence, interest and enhanced performance than extrinsic motivation. The theory identifies three conditions that drive and sustain intrinsic motivation, and without which such motivation diminishes or is subdued: feelings of competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Conditions that build feelings of competence such as rewards, acknowledgements, positive feedback, communications, and encouraging comments had the effect of enhancing intrinsic motivation. At the same time, negative feedback, demeaning comments, and lack of communications and rewards acknowledging one’s competence diminished intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

However, feelings of competence alone cannot enhance intrinsic motivation; they have to be accompanied by a sense of autonomy (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Elements that enhance the feeling of autonomy include opportunities for one to determine their self-direction, acknowledgement of feelings, and choice, while imposed goals, pressured evaluations, directives, deadlines, and threats subdue it, thus reducing intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000). The final contributor to intrinsic motivation is relatedness, which is the level of relational support from relatives, friends, and teachers in the case of school children (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Thus, according to the self-determination theory, people are more likely to be intrinsically-motivated if the environment conduces competence, autonomy, and relational supports, producing higher intrinsic motivation that in turn, translates into enhanced persistence, and performance (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Identify the constructs that keep reappearing. List them and define them

The important constructs of the self-determination theory that keep recurring are:

Intrinsic motivation - a state of exploring and engaging in activities for the excitement, challenge and fun of doing so, rather than as a result of external impetus. When one is intrinsically-motivated, they have an internal locus of causality, with interest and curiosity emanating from within oneself as opposed to externally.

Autonomy – the freedom to undertake activities by one’s own volition. For a student, autonomy occurs when they willingly devote energy and time to their study.

Competence – being able to accomplish goals, such as when students are able to meet their schoolwork challenges (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Relatedness – the experience of having supportive teachers, relatives, and peers. A student will only feel intrinsically-motivated if they feel both autonomous and competent. A student who feels competent but lacks autonomy is unlikely to be intrinsically motivated. For instance, Ryan & Grolnick (as cited in Ryan & Deci, 2000) found that college students who undertook a class with the intention of teaching their peers were more intrinsically motivated than those taking the class with the expectation of being tested. The authors conclude that this is because the former is a demonstration of autonomy, while the latter limits a student’s ability to function harmoniously.

Identify where or how this theory originated

The origin of the self-determination theory dates back to 1977, when Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, both clinical graduate students at the University of Rochester, had a life-changing conversation on what really drove an individual’s motivation (O’Hara, 2017). The two scholars agreed that their line of thinking was against the dominant belief that the best way to drive performance in human beings was by using rewards to reinforce positive behavior (O’Hara, 2017). Deci had, in 1971, carried out an experiment comparing the behavior of two groups of psychology students. Both groups were tasked with solving a Soma cube puzzle. However, the first group was paid for each correct puzzle, while the second group was not paid (O’Hara, 2017). He observed that whenever he left the students alone for a while, the group that was not paid continued working on the puzzle, while the paid group switched to reading magazines (O’Hara, 2017). Deci concluded that this was because the group that had been paid was no longer intrinsically-motivated. The two thus believed that rewards did not offer high-quality motivation. For this, they agreed that high-quality motivation is only a result of certain basic psychological needs that every individual has. This is how they began to study the psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence as a means to achieve high-quality (intrinsic) motivation (O’Hara, 2017).

Quotes

“comparisons between people whose motivation is authentic (literally, self-authored or endorsed) and those who are merely externally controlled for an action typicallyi reveal that the former…have more interest, excitement, and confidence…manifest both as enhanced performance, persistence and creativity” (Ryan & Deci, 2000, p. 69).

The theorists conclude that social environments can forestall or facilitate intrinsic motivation by either thwarting or supporting people’s psychological needs. Fortunately, “strong links between intrinsic motivation and satisfaction of the needs for autonomy and competence have been clearly demonstrated (Ryan & Deci, 2000, p. 71).

Identify what roles this article might play in your research

The self-determination theory provides a means for understanding why people in the same environment may have different levels of satisfaction, motivation, and huge differences in performance. The simple answer is that people experience different levels of the psychological needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness, which in turn, influence their intrinsic motivation. Guided by the theory, the proposed study will seek to determine how well the system at Glendale Community College offer autonomy, competence, and relational supports to help black students persist and complete their courses. In pages 70 and 71, the article provides excellent examples of conditions that enhance and subdue each of the three psychological needs above. The provided examples will serve as a guide on what factors or conditions to study, thus aiding in the designing of the questionnaire.

New references to examine

Grolnick, W. S., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1997). Parenting and children’s internalization of values: A handbook of contemporary theory. John Wiley & Sons.

Grolnick, W. S., & Ryan, R. M. (1989). Parent styles associated with children’s self-regulation and competence in school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(1), 143-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.81.2.143

O;Hara, D. (2017, December 18). The intrinsic motivation of Richard Ryan and Edward Deci. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/members/content/intrinsic-motivation#:~:text=Richard%20Ryan%2C%20PhD%20and%20Edward,reinforce%20their%20behavior%20with%20rewards.

THEORY REVIEW TEMPLATE

THEORY REVIEW #2

Write the central research question for your research

How can the problem of low graduation rates among black non-Hispanic students at Glendale Community College be addressed?

List the first reference in current APA

· Martels, F., & Riekki, T. J. (2018). Autonomy, competence, relatedness, and beneficence: A multicultural comparison of the four pathways to meaningful work. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(1157), 1-13. 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01157

Identify the primary theorists. List them

Richard M. Ryan

Edward L. Deci

In 5 – 10 sentences, summarize the theory using citations (write this as if this were to be used in the actual theoretical framework section of your applied research report)

The self-determination theory postulates that intrinsic motivation is dependent on three psychological needs: feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000). This article studies the self-determination theory using life’s meaningfulness as a proxy for intrinsic motivation (Martels & Riekki, 2018). The study focuses on meaningfulness at work, which was indicated by the degree of intrinsic value that people attached to their jobs (Martels & Riekki, 2018). The authors test the self-determination theory by analyzing how well the three needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness, and a fourth need – beneficence – influence the meaningfulness of work and consequently, employees’ positive functioning in the United States, India, and Finland (Martels & Riekki, 2018). The study found a significant association between autonomy, relatedness, and beneficence, and perceived meaningfulness at work. In line with the self-determination theory, individuals found their work more meaningful if it provided autonomy and relatedness supports, while allowing them to make a positive contribution (beneficence) to the society (Martels & Riekki, 2018). Competence was found to be an insignificant predictor of work meaningfulness in the US, but a significant predictor in the other two countries (Martels & Riekki, 2018). Further, the study found that in line with the self-determination theory, the four psychological needs mediated the relationship between meaningfulness at work and occupational position, indicating that individuals prefer a job that meets their psychological needs to a higher occupational position. The study findings thus validate the constructs of the self-determination theory.

Identify the constructs that keep reappearing. List them and define them

Work meaningfulness – a subjective measure of how intrinsically satisfying an individual finds their work to be (Martels & Riekki, 2018)

Autonomy – the feeling that one’s undertakings and decisions at work represent their volition and not external pressures (Martels & Riekki, 2018).

Competence – the feeling that one has efficacy and mastery needed to realize work-related goals and accomplish projects (Martels & Riekki, 2018)

Relatedness – the feeling of belonging at the workplace or being connected to others (Martels & Riekki, 2018).