Testing a self-determination theory intervention for motivating tobacco cessation: supporting autonomy and competence in a clinical trial.

A longitudinal randomized trial tested the self-determination theory (SDT) intervention and process model of health behavior change for tobacco cessation (N = 1006). Adult smokers were recruited for a study of smokers' health and were assigned to intensive treatment or community care. Participants were relatively poor and undereducated. Intervention patients perceived greater autonomy support and reported greater autonomous and competence motivations than did control patients. They also reported greater medication use and significantly greater abstinence. Structural equation modeling analyses confirmed the SDT process model in which perceived autonomy support led to increases in autonomous and competence motivations, which in turn led to greater cessation. The causal role of autonomy support in the internalization of autonomous motivation, perceived competence, and smoking cessation was supported.     

A self-determination process model of physical activity adoption in the context of a randomized controlled trial

Objective: The PA Counseling (PAC) trial tested a primary care intervention using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as the guiding framework. This paper presents specific results related to SDT constructs in a physical activity (PA) context. Specifically, whether patients who received both brief autonomy supportive PA counseling from their health-care provider and intensive (3 month) autonomy supportive counseling from a PA counselor would report greater levels of autonomy support, autonomous motivation, perceived competence and PA adoption, than patients receiving only brief counseling. In addition, we tested Williams’ SDT process model in the context of PA adoption.Method: Measures of autonomous motivation and perceived competence for PA were measured at baseline and 6 weeks. PA was assessed at baseline and 13 weeks. An autonomy support index was calculated by multiplying minutes of counseling by perceptions of autonomy support. Group differences in autonomy support, autonomous motivation, perceived competence and PA were examined. The SDT process model of PA adoption was tested via path analysis.Results: The results showed higher autonomy support and autonomous motivation at 6 weeks and higher PA levels at 13 weeks for the experimental group. The SDT process model for PA adoption showed that autonomous motivation and perceived competence at 6 weeks significantly predicted 13-week PA for the experimental group.Conclusions: This study provides a rigorous field test of SDT theory in a PA context. It demonstrates the versatility and applicability of the SDT model for health behavior change. SDT-trained PA counselors appear to provide valuable contribution to facilitating patient behavior change, by increasing patient autonomous motivation for PA.     

Motivational predictors of learning strategies,participation, exertion,and performance in physical education: A randomized controlled trial

Teachers’ support of student autonomy in physical education (PE) is believed to be important for students’ motivation and outcomes in PE. We tested the hypothesis that an intervention designed to help teachers to be more autonomy supportive in teaching their students to use learning strategies (relative to standard teaching) would increase students’ perceived autonomy support from the teachers, perceived competence, autonomous motivation, use of learning strategies and their exertion, participation, and grades in PE over a school year. We also tested a self-determination theory (SDT) process model. Experimental effects of the intervention yielded significant positive effects on changes in perceived autonomy support, learning strategies defined as absorption and effort regulation, as well as for performance (i.e., grades). In testing the SDT process model with SEM, most of the predicted paths were significantly supported.     

Testing a self-determination theory process model for promoting glycemic control through diabetes self-management.

A longitudinal study tested the self-determination theory (SDT) process model of health behavior change for glycemic control within a randomized trial of patient activation versus passive education. Glycosylated hemoglobin for patients with Type 2 diabetes (n=159) was assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Autonomous motivation and perceived competence were assessed at baseline and 6 months, and the autonomy supportiveness of clinical practitioners was assessed at 3 months. Perceptions of autonomy and competence were promoted by perceived autonomy support, and changes in perceptions of autonomy and competence, in turn, predicted change in glycemic control. Self-management behaviors mediated the relation between change in perceived competence and change in glycemic control. The self-determination process model fit the data well.     

Teachers’ autonomy support,autonomy suppression and conditional negative regard as predictors of optimal learning experience among high-achieving Bedouin students

The study is based on self-determination theory and focuses on the motivation of high-achieving Bedouin students who belong to a hierarchical-collectivist society. The study focuses on the question: What are the relations between teachers’ autonomy support and control and an optimal learning experience among students? The study is unique in its population and in the distinction it draws between two types of teachers’ control: autonomy suppression (explicit control), and conditional negative regard, a phenomenon examined for the first time in teachers (implicit psychological control). The study population consisted of 144 students from seven high schools (74% girls) who completed questionnaires at two time-points. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that perceived need satisfaction was positively predicted by teachers’ autonomy support, and negatively predicted by teachers’ conditional negative regard, while perception of a teacher as autonomy suppressive contributed directly and negatively to autonomous motivation. In turn psychological need satisfaction positively predicted autonomous motivation in learning that in turn predicted positive emotions and engagement in learning. The hypothesized mediation model has a good fit with the data. The findings have implications concerning the optimal conditions for learning among Bedouin students in general and high-achieving students in particular, and concerning the importance of autonomy-supportive teaching and refraining from control, explicit and implicit alike.     

胜任需要挫败的“双刃剑”效应及干预策略：行为和认知神经科学视角

胜任需要挫败是指个体觉得自己很失败或者感觉不能胜任工作。随着知识经济的快速发展, 越来越多的新生代知识型员工在工作中遭受了短期或长期的胜任需要挫败。在经历胜任需要挫败后, 员工在后续的工作中会越挫越勇还是一蹶不振?如果员工会越挫越勇, 如何强化这一积极效应?如果员工会一蹶不振, 如何规避这一消极后果?已有研究无法清晰地解答这些问题。因此, 本研究基于自我决定理论, 综合运用行为实验、认知神经科学实验和现场实验的方法, 依次考察短期和长期的胜任需要挫败对后续任务自主动机的跨期影响, 进而探讨并检验组织层面的发展性反馈、自主性支持以及个体层面的成就目标导向等干预策略的有效性。研究结果拓展了胜任需要挫败和自主动机的相关研究, 有助于指导企业对员工的胜任需要挫败问题进行科学管理和干预, 有益于员工有效应对胜任需要挫败, 充分激发其自主工作动机。     

How Colleagues Can Support Each Other's Needs and Motivation: An Intervention on Employee Work Motivation

Organisations have flattened and increasingly rely on teamwork. Therefore, colleagues play an increasingly important role in stimulating employee motivation. Adopting Self‐Determination Theory as a guiding framework, the aim of this field experiment was to examine whether team members can be trained in supporting each other's basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness and, hence, increase each other's need satisfaction and autonomous motivation, while decreasing controlled motivation. We delivered training to 146 participants nested in 26 participating teams and assessed basic need satisfaction and autonomous and controlled motivation before and after the intervention. Multilevel regression analyses indicated that employees in the experimental (i.e. intervention) condition had a stronger increase in need satisfaction and autonomous motivation than employees did in the control condition, and that the increase in autonomous motivation was mediated by an increase in need satisfaction. This study provides added value for theory on need satisfaction and demonstrates that a relatively brief intervention among team members may be effective in creating employee need support and increasing autonomous motivation.     

Do students with different motives for physical education respond differently to autonomy-supportive and controlling teaching?

ObjectivesThis study examined whether the effects of autonomy-supportive and controlling teaching in physical education depend on students' motivation.DesignA preliminary, cross-sectional study relied on questionnaires administered to teachers. The main study involved an experimental design with students.MethodsIn the preliminary study, 95 teachers reported on their beliefs regarding the effectiveness of autonomy supportive and controlling teaching styles for students with different motivational profiles. In the main study, 320 students completed a questionnaire on motivation and were then randomly assigned to an experimental condition in which they watched video-based vignettes of either an autonomy-supportive or a controlling style. After the experimental induction, students completed questionnaires on need satisfaction, need frustration, engagement, and oppositional defiance.ResultsTeachers tend to believe that autonomy support and control work best for students scoring high on, respectively, autonomous and controlled motivation. The main study, however, showed that the moderating role of student motivation in the effect of teaching style was limited. The few interactions obtained suggested that even students with poor quality motivation report that they would benefit from an autonomy-supportive approach and suffer from a controlling approach. Students in the autonomy-supportive, relative to the controlling, condition reported more engagement and less oppositional defiance, effects that were mediated by need satisfaction and frustration.ConclusionsAll students, independent of their motivational regulations when entering the experiment, reported that they would be more engaged and would show less oppositional defiance when they would interact with an autonomy-supportive instead of a controlling teacher during PE.     

Oral health and dental well‐being: testing a self‐determination theory model

This study tested a self‐determination theory (SDT) process model of oral health and subjective dental well‐being. The results showed that: (1) patients' perceptions of autonomy‐supportive dental professionals were significantly positively predictive of patients' psychological needs satisfaction in treatment; (2) needs satisfaction was significantly related to perceived dental competence (positive), autonomous motivation (positive), and controlled motivation (negative) for dental care; (3) perceived competence was significantly positively, and controlled motivation was significantly negatively associated with self‐rated oral health and oral‐health‐related quality of life; (4) autonomous motivation for dental treatment was significantly positively associated with valuing continued dental treatment; and (5) the three oral‐health‐related variables were all significantly positively linked to subjective dental well‐being. A structural equation model supported the SDT process model.     

Autonomy-supportive coaching and self-determined motivation in high school and college athletes: A test of self-determination theory

ObjectivesUsing self-determination theory as a framework, this study tested whether perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness mediated the relationship between perceived autonomy-supportive coaching and athletes’ motivational orientation.DesignA cross-sectional, survey study conducted during a regularly schedule training session.MethodMale and female high school and college athletes (N=581) completed questionnaires assessing the key variables of interest.ResultsStructural equation modeling revealed support for a mediational effect. Specifically, results indicated that the degree to which athletes perceived their coaches to be autonomy-supportive significantly predicted the athletes’ perceived competence, autonomy, and sense of relatedness, which, in turn, each predicted their motivational orientation. This pattern of relationships was invariant across gender and level of competition.ConclusionsResults support self-determination theory and highlight the motivational benefits of autonomy-supportive coaching behaviors.     

Need Satisfaction Supportive Game Features as Motivational Determinants: An Experimental Study of a Self-Determination Theory Guided Exergame

Empirical studies have validated that basic needs satisfaction supported by video game play predicts motivation and engagement outcomes. However, few studies specifically manipulated game features for each of the three basic needs specified in the self-determination theory (SDT) to examine how the game features impact players' need satisfaction and game experience. The current study employed an in-house developed exergame and manipulated the game features in a 2 (autonomy-supportive game features: on vs. off) × 2 (competence-supportive game features: on vs. off) experiment to predict need satisfaction, game enjoyment, motivation for future play, effort for gameplay, self-efficacy for exercise using the game, likelihood of game recommendation, and game rating. The manipulated game features led to the corresponding need satisfaction. Manipulated autonomy-supportive and competence-supportive game features had main effects on most motivation and engagement outcomes. Need satisfaction of autonomy and need satisfaction of competence were both found to be mediators for the relationships between the game features and the motivation and engagement outcomes. The findings add evidence to support the underlying mechanism postulated by SDT for media enjoyment and motivation as well as the emerging entertainment research conceptualizing enjoyment as need satisfaction. The findings also have practical implications for intervention effort that intends to capitalize the motivational pull of video games.     

Self-determined motivation in physical education and its links to motivation for leisure-time physical activity, physical activity, and well-being in general

The present study tested a trans-contextual model based on self-determination theory of the relations between motivation in physical education, motivation in leisure-time physical activity, physical activity, and psychological well-being. Participants were 329 Norwegian upper secondary school students (M age = 16.5 yr., SD = 0.7). Students' perceptions of autonomy-supportive teachers in physical education were expected to be positively associated with students' psychological needs satisfaction in physical education, which was expected to be positively related to autonomous motivation for physical education participation. In turn, autonomous motivation for physical education was expected to be positively associated with perceived competence and autonomous motivation for leisure-time physical activity, which both were expected to be positively associated with leisure-time physical activity and psychological well-being in general. Structural equation models and bootstrapping supported the hypotheses and the indirect links between variables. Sex differences indicate that more research is needed on how to motivate girls to be more physically active in leisure time.     

Extending the trans‐contextual model in physical education and leisure‐time contexts: Examining the role of basic psychological need satisfaction

Background. The trans‐contextual model (TCM) is an integrated model of motivation that aims to explain the processes by which agentic support for autonomous motivation in physical education promotes autonomous motivation and physical activity in a leisure‐time context. It is proposed that perceived support for autonomous motivation in physical education is related to autonomous motivation in physical education and leisure‐time contexts. Furthermore, relations between autonomous motivation and the immediate antecedents of intentions to engage in physical activity behaviour and actual behaviour are hypothesized. Aims. The purpose of the present study was to incorporate the constructs of basic psychological need satisfaction in the TCM to provide a more comprehensive explanation of motivation and demonstrate the robustness of the findings of previous tests of the model that have not incorporated these constructs. Sample. Students (N=274) from Greek secondary schools. Method. Participants completed self‐report measures of perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation, and basic psychological need satisfaction in physical education. Follow‐up measures of these variables were taken in a leisure‐time context along with measures of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control (PBC), and intentions from the theory of planned behaviour 1 week later. Self‐reported physical activity behaviour was measured 4 weeks later. Results. Results supported TCM hypotheses. Basic psychological need satisfaction variables uniquely predicted autonomous motivation in physical education and leisure time as well as the antecedents of intention, namely, attitudes, and PBC. The basic psychological need satisfaction variables also mediated the effects of perceived autonomy support on autonomous motivation in physical education. Conclusions. Findings support the TCM and provide further information of the mechanisms in the model and integrated theories of motivation in physical education and leisure time.     

Coach autonomy support predicts autonomous motivation and daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in youth sport participants

ObjectiveGuided by self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1987), this study tested a trans-contextual model linking perceptions of the social environment created by the youth sport coach to levels of autonomous and controlled motivation, and objectively measured daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) in young football players.DesignThe study employed a cross-sectional design, assessing physical activity using accelerometers.Method105 male youth sport footballers (M age = 12.79 ± 1.85 years) wore a GT3X accelerometer for 7 days. Measures of height and weight were recorded. Participants completed a multi-section questionnaire assessing perceptions of autonomy support and controlling coaching behaviours, and motivation toward their participation in sport and physically active games.ResultsPath analysis supported a model in which players’ perceptions of coach-provided autonomy support positively predicted autonomous motivation for sport engagement. In turn, autonomous motivation was positively associated with MVPA, and negatively related to ST (min/day). Controlling coach behaviours were positively linked to controlled motivation. However, controlled motivation for sport and physically active games was unrelated to daily MVPA and ST. Perceptions of coach-provided autonomy support had a significant positive indirect effect on daily MVPA, and a significant negative indirect effect on daily ST.ConclusionsResults suggest that autonomy supportive coach behaviours are related to daily physical activity patterns in young male footballers. Theory-based interventions that aim to encourage autonomy supportive coaching, and subsequently foster autonomous reasons for sport engagement, may enhance the potential of youth sport for increasing daily MVPA and reducing ST among children and adolescents active in this setting     

Predicting change in middle school students’ leisure-time physical activity participation: A prospective test of the trans-contextual model

We applied the trans-contextual model (TCM) to examine the effects of middle school students’ perceived autonomy support from their physical education (PE) teachers on autonomous motivation toward PE in school and, critically, autonomous motivation toward, and actual participation in, leisure-time physical activity (PA). The research adopted a three-wave prospective design enabling the modeling of change in the TCM constructs over time. Middle school students (N = 248) aged from 12 to 16 years reported their perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation in PE, autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), intentions for PA in leisure-time, and leisure-time PA participation. The psychological constructs and leisure-time PA were measured at baseline (T0) and at a first follow-up occasion (T1) 5 weeks later. Another measure of PA was taken at a second follow-up occasion (T2) a further 5 weeks later. A single-indicator structural equation model using residualized change scores revealed that perceived autonomy support predicted autonomous motivation in PE (β = .345), and autonomous motivation in PE predicted autonomous motivation for leisure-time PA (β = .484). Autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA predicted attitudes (β = .425), subjective norms (β = .264), and PBC (β = .517). Autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA (β = .376), attitude (β = .231), and subjective norms (β = .185) predicted intentions toward leisure-time PA, and intentions predicted PA (β = .198). Findings extend research on the TCM by demonstrating its efficacy in predicting change in middle school students’ autonomous motivation across PE and leisure-time contexts, and accounting for change in intentions toward, and actual participation in, leisure-time PA.     

Motivating learning, performance, and persistence: the synergistic effects of intrinsic goal contents and autonomy-supportive contexts

Three field experiments with high school and college students tested the self-determination theory hypotheses that intrinsic (vs. extrinsic) goals and autonomy-supportive (vs. controlling) learning climates would improve students' learning, performance, and persistence. The learning of text material or physical exercises was framed in terms of intrinsic (community, personal growth, health) versus extrinsic (money, image) goals, which were presented in an autonomy-supportive versus controlling manner. Analyses of variance confirmed that both experimentally manipulated variables yielded main effects on depth of processing, test performance, and persistence (all ps <.001), and an interaction resulted in synergistically high deep processing and test performance (but not persistence) when both intrinsic goals and autonomy support were present. Effects were significantly mediated by autonomous motivation.     

教师自主支持与初中生的学习投入:家庭社会阶层与学生自主动机的影响

采用学习氛围量表、主观社会阶层量表、学业调节问卷和修订的课堂投入问卷对1211名初中生进行调查,根据主观社会阶层得分在3分以下、6分以上的标准,筛选出491名典型低阶层(374人)与高阶层(117人)被试,考察教师自主支持与初中生学习投入的关系,以及学生自主动机在其中的中介作用和家庭社会阶层的调节作用.结果表明:(1)教师自主支持与初中生的学习投入之间存在显著正相关;(2)自主动机在教师自主支持与初中生的学习投入之间起部分中介作用;(3)家庭社会阶层在教师自主支持影响初中生自主动机进而影响其学习投入的过程中起到有中介的调节作用.     

The Role of Unconditional Parental Regard in Autonomy‐Supportive Parenting

Two studies explored the role of parents’ unconditional positive regard (UCPR) as perceived by adolescents and young adults in promoting the effectiveness of specific parenting practices that may support offspring's academic autonomous motivation. Study 1 tested the hypothesis that UCPR predicts rationale‐giving and choice‐provision practices and, at the same time, moderates their relations with adolescents’ autonomous motivation. Study 2 replicated the association between UCPR and the parental practices, and further explored the role of parents’ authenticity as an antecedent of UCPR and parental autonomy support. Study 1 included 125 adolescents and Study 2 considered 128 college‐students and their mothers. The offspring reported on their perceptions of their mothers and on their autonomous motivation, and the mothers reported on their sense of authenticity. Both studies found consistent associations between UCPR and parenting practices that may support autonomous motivation. Moreover, Study 1 demonstrated that the rationale giving and choice provision were more strongly related to adolescents’ autonomous motivation when adolescents perceived mothers as high on UCPR. Finally, Study 2 demonstrated that mothers’ authenticity predicted UCPR, which in turn was related to autonomy‐supportive parenting. Findings support the assumption that parents’ autonomy‐supportive practices are more effective when accompanied by UCPR.     

Self-determination at work: Understanding the role of leader-member exchange

Integrating self-determination theory (SDT) and leader-member exchange (LMX) theory, we explore the role of the leader in facilitating employee self-determination. We test a model of the linkages between employees’ leader-member exchanges, psychological need satisfaction (i.e., satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs), autonomous motivation, and attitudinal outcomes. We posit that high-quality leader-member exchanges facilitate satisfaction of employees’ fundamental psychological needs, which, in turn, enhance autonomous motivation and outcomes. Results for 283 working professionals supported this notion. Structural equation modeling indicated that the employee’s perception of the quality of the LMX was positively related to satisfaction of the needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Satisfaction of competence and autonomy needs was positively related to autonomous motivation, which, in turn, was associated with higher levels of job satisfaction, affective organizational commitment, and subjective vitality. Our findings accentuate the role of leader-employee relationships in creating self-determination at work, and reinforce the importance of self-determination for employee attitudes and well-being. Limitations, implications, and directions for future research are discussed.     

Motivation for Dental Home Care: Testing a Self‐Determination Theory Model1

The present research developed the Self‐Regulation for Dental Home Care Questionnaire (SRDHCQ), based on self‐determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000 ), and used it in an SDT process model of dental health behaviors and self‐rated oral health. In this model, patients' perceptions of autonomy‐supportive (relative to controlling) dental professionals were expected to positively predict patients' psychological needs satisfaction in treatment. Needs satisfaction was expected to be positively related to autonomous motivation for dental home care and perceived dental competence, which were expected to be positively associated with self‐rated oral health and dental health behaviors. Confirmatory factor analysis of the 5‐factor SRDHCQ model fit the data very well, and a structural equation model supported the hypothesized process model.