self- determination theory (SDT), psychology homework help

Motivation is the study of why individuals or organisms behave as they do, or what moves people (Graham and Weiner, 2012). The word ‘motivation’ comes from Latin ‘movere’ or to move (Grison, 2016). This is the same root as in the word ’emotion’.

Deci and Ryan’s (2008) self-determination theory (SDT) differentiates the concept of motivation into autonomous and controlled motivations. Autonomous motivation involves behaving with a full sense of volition and choice, whereas controlled motivation involves behaving with the experience of pressure and demand toward specific outcomes that comes from forces perceived to be external to the self (Deci and Ryan, 2008).

The STD differs from other motivational theories, because the other theories generally divide motivation into extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, where extrinsic (or outside of the self) motivators undermine intrinsic motivation. Even though autonomous motivation is more intrinsic, it can also be extrinsic due to organismic integration that makes an extrinsic motivation personally meaningful, according to Deci and Ryan (2008).

The self-determination theory can assist individuals in their personal or professional goals, because personal and professional goals can be viewed with the lens of autonomous motivation, even though the goals may be extrinsic, because the organismic integration concept may be used to assign personal value to these extrinsic goals. When the motivation includes an intrinsic sense of volition and choice, it then empowers people to reach their highest potential according to the SDT (Deci and Ryan, 2008).

Please respond to the above question with 150-250 words. No references are needed.