It\u2019s a question of carrot or stick. Or possibly neither.<\/p>\n
What really motivates us? Humans have pondered this question for decades. Is it money, power, and fame? Or rather fear and punishment? Psychologists\u2019 answers have varied, along with a broad transformation in prevailing views.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole field of motivation has changed over the last 40 years, from thinking about how you can control people from the outside to thinking how you can really facilitate and support people\u2019s commitment and engagement in activities,\u201d says Richard Ryan<\/a>, a clinical psychologist and professor of clinical and social sciences in psychology at the University of Rochester.<\/p>\n Together with Edward Deci<\/a>, the University\u2019s Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences, the two psychologists are the founders of self-determination theory<\/a> (SDT) and most recently the authors of the authoritative 700-plus-page volume Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness<\/a> <\/em>(Guilford Press, 2017).<\/p>\n Developed by Ryan and Deci nearly four decades ago, self-determination theory has become one of the most widely accepted theories of human motivation in contemporary behavioral science. Its starting point is the idea that all humans have the natural\u2014or intrinsic\u2014tendency to behave in effective and healthful ways. To date, their research has been cited several hundred-thousands of times, spawning thousands of clinical experiments and studies worldwide.<\/p>\n Central to SDT is the distinction between two types of motivation\u2014autonomous motivation (sometimes also called intrinsic motivation) and controlled motivation. \u201cAutonomous motivation has to do with engaging in an activity with a full sense of willingness and volition,\u201d Deci explains. \u201cWhereas controlled motivation means doing something with the experience of pressure and obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n The evidence-based theory holds that all humans have a basic need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In a nutshell: Research by the pair (and inspired by them) suggests that we need to feel that we can succeed at a task and that we are making progress towards that success\u2014what they call competence. Meaningful options as we work toward that competence constitute our autonomy. Lastly, we need to feel that our efforts are recognized by others and that we are part of something beyond ourselves\u2014what Ryan and Deci have termed interpersonal relatedness.<\/p>\n