Testing Self-Determined Motivation as a Mediator of the Relationship between Psychological Needs and Affective and Behavioral Outcomes

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 645-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan H. McDonough ◽  
Peter R.E. Crocker

Self-determination theory suggests that when psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met, participants experience more self-determined types of motivation and more positive outcomes. Limited research has examined this mediational role of self-determined motivation in adult physical activity participants, and very few studies have included assessments of relatedness. This study tested the hypothesis that self-determined motivation would mediate the relationship between psychological need fulfilment and affective and behavioral outcomes. Adult dragon boaters (N = 558) between the ages of 19 and 83 completed a questionnaire on motivational aspects of dragon boating. Competence, relatedness, and autonomy all significantly predicted self-determined motivation, but self-determined motivation only partially mediated their relationship with positive and negative affect. These findings demonstrate the importance of all three needs in adult activity motivation and suggest that the relationships between needs, self-determination, and outcomes may be complex.

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-97
Author(s):  
Rita Estrada

Dementia is an ever-increasing health and social problem, with a growing number of people being affected worldwide. As dementia progresses, dependency on others increases, requiring the presence of caregivers. Caregivers tend to focus on the diagnosis itself – dementia – which makes it difficult to see the person in their uniqueness. The person is there, and can be seen by listening, which requires time and communication skills. The voices of older adults living with several types of dementia, collected while working as a psychologist in a nursing home, are presented in the first person to bring forward the person they are. These excerpts of interactions illustrate the basic psychological need of relatedness, which is built through interaction, stories, and touch, and the needs of competence and autonomy. The framework of this paper encompasses validation therapy, person-centered care, and self-determination theory. Two conclusions emerge: Seeing the person through the dementia enables an adequate psychological assessment and a helpful supportive psychotherapy, and it also makes us acknowledge and help satisfy the three basic psychological needs of relatedness, competence, and autonomy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quang Ngoc Nguyen ◽  
Thuy-Tien Thi La ◽  
Mai Thi Phan ◽  
Thuy-Dung Ninh

Nghiên cứu được tiến hành dựa trên lý thuyết tự quyết nhằm tìm hiểu về mối liên hệ giữa sự thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, động lực học tập, và trì hoãn trong học tập ở sinh viên. Mẫu nghiên cứu là mẫu thuận tiện với 341 sinh viên có độ tuổi trong khoảng từ 19 đến 26. Trong đó, nam chiếm 11.7% và nữ chiếm 88.3%. Mức độ thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, các loại động lực học tập, và mức độ trì hoãn trong học tập được đo lường bởi các thang đo. Kết quả phân tích tương quan cho thấy trì hoãn trong học tập có tương quan nghịch chiều với các loại động lực học tập tự chủ và mức độ thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản. Phân tích đường dẫn cho thấy sự thỏa mãn nhu cầu gắn kết và nhu cầu tự chủ góp phần làm tăng sự thỏa mãn nhu cầu năng lực, qua đó làm giảm tình trạng thiếu động lực học tập đồng thời làm tăng động lực hướng đến thành tựu, và dẫn tới mức độ trì hoãn học tập thấp hơn. Các kết quả nghiên cứu ửng hộ giả thuyết của lý thuyết tự quyết về vai trò của việc đáp ứng các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản nhằm thúc đẩy động lực bên trong. [The study was conducted based on the self-determination theory to examine the relationships between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, academic motivation, and academic procrastination among students. The sample was a convenient ?one with 341 students aged between 19 and 26. In particular, males accounted for 11.7% and females accounted for 88.3%. The level of satisfaction of basic psychological needs, the types of academic motivation, and the level of academic procrastination were measured by several scales. The results of correlation analysis showed that the academic procrastination was negatively correlated with autonomous academic motivations and the level of the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Path analysis showed that the satisfaction of relatedness and autonomy needs contributed to the satisfaction of competence need, thereby reducing amotivation and increasing intrinsic motivation towards achievement which lead to lower levels of academic procrastination. The findings supported the hypothesis of self-determination theory about the role of meeting basic psychological needs in order to promote intrinsic motivation.]


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystn Orr ◽  
Katherine A. Tamminen ◽  
Shane N. Sweet ◽  
Jennifer R. Tomasone ◽  
Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos

This study was guided by self-determination theory to explore the sport experiences of youth with a physical disability and the role of peers within this context. Interviews were conducted with eight youths using a relational mapping technique and analyzed using a deductive thematic approach. Sport peers were broadly defined by the youth as individuals from a large age range and of all abilities. Youth perceived their sport peers to have dynamic roles throughout their participation in sport. The perceived roles of these sport peers included supporting and thwarting basic psychological needs, and influencing the youths’ processing of sport internalization. Findings focus on the complexity of peer need-thwarting and need-supporting interactions in sport for youth with physical disabilities. Overall, peers have a multifaceted role in the sport experiences of youth identifying with a physical disability and may, in some cases, thwart youths’ basic psychological needs.


2020 ◽  
pp. 001391652094260
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Gatt ◽  
Lixin Jiang

Organizations are increasingly adopting non-territorial organizational models with unassigned desks. However, previous research has: (1) shown mixed results regarding the impact of non-territorial working on employees, (2) largely examined non-territorial working in its purest sense without considering the nuanced differences in non-territorial working, and (3) not understood the mechanisms underlying the relation between non-territorial working and employee outcomes. To address these research gaps, we apply self-determination theory, which argues that meeting basic psychological needs of autonomy and belonging allows optimal human development, to the physical environment of office spaces. Specifically, we investigated whether the relationship of two types of non-territorial working with employee work engagement, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and affective commitment is mediated via autonomy over office spaces and belongingness. Data were collected from 127 working New Zealanders who have adopted two types of non-territorial working (i.e., work arrangement 1 and work arrangement 2) in an organization. We found that although workers with work arrangement 2 did not report higher belongingness than those with work arrangement 1, workers with work arrangement 1 reported higher autonomy over office spaces than those with work arrangement 2. Moreover, belongingness was related to higher work engagement, job satisfaction, and affective commitment but lower emotional exhaustion, while autonomy over office spaces was related to increased job satisfaction and affective commitment but decreased emotional exhaustion. We also found that autonomy over office spaces, but not belongingness, mediated the relationship of non-territorial working with emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 123 (5) ◽  
pp. 1887-1903
Author(s):  
Chin-Siang Ang

Our study explores the moderating role of loneliness in the relationship between attitude toward online relationship formation and psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. Participants included 1572 adolescents who completed self-report measures of loneliness, attitude toward online relationship formation, and psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. As hypothesized, attitude toward online relationship formation was positively related to psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. Results of moderation also demonstrated that lonely adolescents would report more positive attitude toward online relationship formation and higher psychological need satisfaction in online friendships compared to adolescents with nonlonely. Overall, these results extend self-determination theory’s contentions regarding the critical role of socialization initiatives to increase the fulfilment of psychological needs for adolescents, regardless of whether the relationship was formed through the Internet or in-person.


Author(s):  
Gloria H. Y. Chan ◽  
T. Wing Lo ◽  
Cherry H. L. Tam ◽  
Gabriel K. W. Lee

This study adopts the perspective of the Self-Determination Theory to look at the psychological experience of drug users and their decisions to take drugs or not, with particular emphasis on the concept of relatedness. To achieve this objective, a qualitative methodology was employed to explore the experiences of these drug users regarding how they take drugs and/or relapse. Theory-driven thematic analysis was employed to identify themes related to this topic. Results show that one’s psychological need for relatedness is an important determinant of whether one will take drugs or not, via the interaction mechanisms that exist in dimensions of affiliation and intimacy. While drug taking is a result of the modeling behavior existing in affiliated relationships, it is also a coping strategy for the ultimate satisfaction of psychological needs when human relatedness disappears. The implication is that significant others can develop unconditionally warm, caring, and empathetic supportive relationships with drug users, so as to enhance their fulfillment of psychological needs and reduce the risk of drug relapse.


Author(s):  
Martin S. Hagger ◽  
Cleo Protogerou

Self-determination theory has been applied to understand the role of affect in motivation and behavior in health contexts. According to self-determination theory, autonomous forms of motivation, reflecting self-endorsed reasons for acting and the satisfaction of psychological needs, are related to participation and persistence in health behavior. Research examining the role of affect in determining health behavior from the perspective of the theory is relatively sparse. Affect has served as both an outcome and process in applications of the theory to health behavior. Positive affect and psychological well-being have been identified as important outcomes of participating in behaviors for autonomous reasons. Affect is inextricably linked to motivational processes through eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, the passionate pursuit of activities, and the regulation of behavior through active management of aversive emotional responses. The chapter outlines how support for autonomous motivation by significant others may lead to adaptive behavioral engagement and affective responses in health behavior.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin S Hagger ◽  
Cleo Protogerou

Self-determination theory has been applied to understand the role of affect in motivation and behavior in health contexts. According to self-determination theory, autonomous forms of motivation, reflecting self-endorsed reasons for acting and the satisfaction of psychological needs, are related to participation and persistence in health behavior. Research examining the role of affect in determining health behavior from the perspective of the theory is relatively sparse. Affect has served as both an outcome and process in applications of the theory to health behavior. Positive affect and psychological well-being have been identified as important outcomes of participating in behaviors for autonomous reasons. Affect is inextricably linked to motivational processes through eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, the passionate pursuit of activities, and the regulation of behavior through active management of aversive emotional responses. The chapter outlines how support for autonomous motivation by significant others may lead to adaptive behavioral engagement and affective responses in health behavior.


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