When I first signed up to write about self-determination, I believe I had a bit of a bias. As a mother of a young adult with autism, I can tell you that self-determination has been a driving force in ...
His work with his colleague Richard Ryan changed how psychologists understand human motivation and what people require to ...
Psychologist Edward L. Deci died on Feb. 14, 2026. He was 83. His loss is humanity’s loss. His life was humanity’s great gain. If you ever felt your motivation drain away under a micromanaging boss, ...
Motivation is one of those topics that gets studied, debated, and written about endlessly. Psychologists have spent decades breaking it down into theories like Self-Determination Theory and Maslow’s ...
Self-determination theory (SDT) is an empirically based theory of motivation and psychological development that is especially focused on the basic psychological needs that promote high quality ...
Dr. Edward L. Deci, a University of Rochester psychology professor, challenged traditional motivation theories and co-developed the widely accepted self-determination theory.