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Self-determination theory (SDT) is an empirically based theory of human motivation, development, and wellness. The theory focuses on types, rather than just amount, of motivation, paying particular attention to autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and amotivation as predictors of performance, relational, and well-being outcomes. It also addresses the social conditions that enhance versus diminish these types of motivation, proposing and finding that the degrees to which basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported versus thwarted affect both the type and strength of motivation. SDT also examines people's life goals or aspirations, showing differential relations of intrinsic versus extrinsic life goals to performance and psychological health. In this introduction we also briefly discuss recent developments within SDT concerning mindfulness and vitality, and highlight the applicability of SDT within applied domains, including work, relationships, parenting, education, virtual environments, sport, sustainability, health care, and psychotherapy.
Keywords: self-determination theory, autonomous motivation, personality development, wellness
As a macrotheory of human motivation, self-determination theory (SDT) addresses such basic issues as personality development, self-regulation, universal psychological needs, life goals and aspirations, energy and vitality, nonconscious processes, the relations of culture to motivation, and the impact of social environments on motivation, affect, behavior, and well-being. Further, the theory has been applied to issues within a wide range of life domains.
Although the initial work leading to SDT dates back to the 1970s and the first relatively comprehensive statement of SDT appeared in the mid-1980s (Deci & Ryan, 1985), it has been during the past decade that research on SDT has truly mushroomed. Basic research expanding and refining motivational principles has continued at a vigorous pace, but the huge increase in the volume of published SDT studies has been most apparent in the applied fields - in sport, education, and health care, for example. Indeed, the diversity of topics covered in the papers of this special issue, along with the amount of research cited in each paper, make clear how extensive the literature has become.
Earlier this year we published an article in Canadian Psychology presenting an overview of SDT (Deci & Ryan, 2008). Here we present a much briefer introduction to the theory that will provide a structure to help focus readers as they begin the series of papers. It...