key points of this talk  needs  goals  motivations self-determination theory & well-being

personal background  to provide a specialist service both for the treatment of psychological difficulties and for helping people enhance their health and wellbeing.  to try to provide and encourage a whole person approach that uses what is best in conventional, complementary & self-help methods of health care work through a small charity whose aims are: for more details & a downloadable copy of this talk go to the ‘good knowledge’ section of click on ‘lectureswww.goodmedicine.org.uk and leaflets’ and look under ‘wellbeing and health’ in ‘past lectures’

self-determination theory (SDT)  SDT is a general theory of motivation and personality that has evolved over the past three decades  SDT suggests humans, like plants or other animals, intrinsically ‘strive’ for need satisfaction & flourishing  social contexts can support or thwart this need striving with major effects for health & well-being looking at well-being through the lens of self-determination theory Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, Plenum. Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry 11:

key points of this talk  needs  goals  motivations self-determination theory & well-being

three key psychological needs  a basic need (whether physiological or psychological) is defined as an energizing state that, if satisfied, promotes health & well- being but, if not satisfied, contributes to pathology and ill-being  how these three basic psychological needs – autonomy, comp- etence & relatedness – can best be satisfied will vary with individual strengths, life stage, social context, and culture  personal goals that lead to satisfaction of these three basic needs will promote well-being, but individuals – due to broad societal conditioning and personal life history – may well strive for goals that do not satisfy these needs or enhance their well-being Ryan, R. M. and E. L. Deci (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol 55(1):

three key psychological needs  autonomy – personal choice not compulsion by outside forces  competence – capable & effective not incompetent & inefficient  relatedness – regular emotional intimacy & shared activities not isolation & loneliness Reis, H. T., K. M. Sheldon, et al. (2000). Daily well-being: the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 26(4): Sheldon, K. M., A. J. Elliot, et al. (2001). What is satisfying about satisfying events? Testing 10 candidate psychological needs. J Pers Soc Psychol 80(2): autonomy autonomy competence relatedness

what makes for a good day?  people whose needs for competence, autonomy & relatedness are more satisfied experience greater well-being than those whose needs are less satisfied  at the same time, for each individual, days when these basic needs are more satisfied are experienced as better than days when the needs are less satisfied  it’s not just the total amount of need satisfaction, it’s also the balance that optimises well-being Sheldon, K. M., R. Ryan, et al. (1996). What makes for a good day? Competence and autonomy in the day and in the person. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 22(12): Sheldon, K. M. and C. P. Niemiec (2006). It's not just the amount that counts: balanced need satisfaction also affects well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol 91(2): autonomy autonomy competence relatedness

key points of this talk needs  goals  motivations self-determination theory & well-being

many research studies on goals  Kasser, T. and R. M. Ryan (1993). A dark side of the American dream: correlates of financial success as a central life aspiration. J Pers Soc Psychol 65(2):  Kasser, T. and R. M. Ryan (1996). Further examining the American dream: differential correlates of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 22(3):  Lapierre, S., L. Bouffard, et al. (1997). Personal goals and subjective well- being in later life. Int J Aging Hum Dev 45(4):  Schmuck, P., T. Kasser, et al. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic goals: their structure and relationship to well-being in German and U.S. college students. Social Indicators Research 50(2):  Kasser, T. and A. Ahuvia (2002). Materialistic values and well-being in business students. European Journal of Social Psychology 32(1):

Larson now for some active involvement

your personal choice of goals  emotional intimacy having many close & caring relationships  financial success having a job that pays very well and having a lot of nice possessions  fame/popularity being known &/or admired by many people  community contribution helping to make the world a better place  attractive image looking good & appearing attractive to others  personal growth being fulfilled & having a very meaningful life which are your three top choices?

 intrinsic goals  intrinsic goals prioritising intimacy, community & personal growth, tend to satisfy these three key psychological needs directly.  extrinsic goals  extrinsic goals prioritising money, status & image focus on achieving external rewards & praise – typically at the expense of key need satisfaction. key needs – relatedness, autonomy & competence prioritising extrinsic goals is associated with increased anxiety, depression, narcissism & physical symptoms and decreased vitality, self-actualization & well-being goals & their health implications

goals & wellbeing goals are defined here as “projects you think about, plan for, carry out and sometimes (though not always) complete or succeed at” Sheldon, K. M. et al. (2004). "The inde- pendent effects of goal contents & motives on well-being: it's both what you pursue & why you pursue it." Pers Soc Psychol Bull 30(4): encourage wellbeing unrelated to wellbeing “intrinsic” goals “extrinsic” goals e.g. emotional intimacy having many close & caring relationships; personal growth being fulfilled and having a very meaningful life; community contribution helping to make the world a better place e.g. financial success having a job that pays very well and having a lot of nice possessions; fame/popularity being known and/or admired by many people; attractive image looking good and appearing attractive to others

social context affects goal choice  Kasser, T., et al. (2002). Early family experiences and adult values: A 26-year, prospective longitudinal study. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 28(6):  Feeney, B. C. (2004). A secure base: responsive support of goal strivings and exploration in adult intimate relationships. J Pers Soc Psychol 87(5):  Sheldon, K. M. and L. S. Krieger (2004). Does legal education have under- mining effects on law students? Evaluating changes in motivation, values, and well-being. Behav Sci Law 22(2):  Vansteenkiste, M., J. Simons, et al. (2004). Motivating learning, performance, and persistence: the synergistic effects of intrinsic goal contents & autonomy- supportive contexts. J Pers Soc Psychol 87(2):  Sheldon, K. M. (2005). Positive value change during college: normative trends and individual differences. J Res Personal 39(2):  Grouzet, F. M., T. Kasser, et al. (2005). The structure of goal contents across 15 cultures. J Pers Soc Psychol 89(5):

social context affects choice! laboratory peer pressure Larson

goal focus affects daily well-being  King, L. A., J. H. Richards, et al. (1998). Daily goals, life goals, and worst fears: means, ends, and subjective well-being. J Personality 66:  Sheldon, K. M. & A. J. Elliot (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction, & longitud- inal well-being: the self-concordance model. J Pers Soc Psychol 76(3):  Hoppmann, C. A. & P. L. Klumb (2006). Daily goal pursuits predict cortisol secretion and mood states in employed parents with preschool children. Psychosom Med 68(6): encouraging a focus on personally relevant intrinsic goals increases day to day well-being intrinsic goal focus is promoted by providing explanation, a supportive relationship & choice

key points of this talk needs goals  motivations self-determination theory & well-being

1) you strive for this goal because somebody else wants you to, or the situation seems to compel it. 2) you strive for this goal because you would feel ashamed, guilty, or anxious if you didn’t. 3) you strive for this goal because you really feel that it’s an important goal to have. 4) you strive for this goal because of the enjoyment or stimulation which the goal provides you not at all completely because of this reason Sheldon, K. M. & A. J. Elliot (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: the self-concordance model. J Pers Soc Psychol 76(3): reasons for personal goal choice

motivations & wellbeing “controlled” motivations “autonomous” motivations identified motivations = because you really identify with this goal intrinsic motivations = because of the enjoyment or stimulation this goal provides you extrinsic motivations = because someone else wants you to or because the situation seems to compel it introjected motivations = because you would feel ashamed, guilty or anxious if you did not have this goal encourage wellbeing unrelated to wellbeing for more details on Ken Sheldon’s work see:

with no one looking, Konor would secretly sprinkle on a few sprouts autonomous motivation encourages well-being Gary Larson

goals, motivations & wellbeing “intrinsic” goals “extrinsic” goals “controlled” motivations “autonomous” motivations wellbeing

SDT relevant for many areas  well-being  well-being (34 papers): happiness, well-being, needs, motivation, goals, life course changes.  education  education (79 papers): for both school & university.  health care  health care (36 papers & books): smoking, alcohol & drug problems, diet, exercise, diabetes (freely down- loadable treatment questionnaires also provided).  other  other (many papers!): 15 further subject areas that include friendship, parenting, couples, psychotherapy, sport, organizations, and political/ecological action. SDT highly relevant for education & health care

self-determination & education “it is nothing short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry” Albert Einstein

motivation especially important “comparisons between people whose motivation is authentic (literally, self-authored or endorsed) and those who are merely externally controlled... typically reveal that the former... have more interest, excitement, & confidence which in turn is manifest both as enhanced performance, persistence, & creativity, and as heightened vitality, self-esteem, & general well-being” Ryan, R. M. and E. L. Deci (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol 55(1): 68-78

a spectrum of motivations behaviour motivation regulatory style perceived causality regulatory processes non self-determinedself-determined impersonalexternal to internalinternal non-intentional, non-valuing, incompetent, lack of control interest, enjoyment, inherent satisfaction ranging from external compliance to internal synthesis intrinsic regulation intrinsic motivationamotivation non regulation extrinsic motivation external to integrated

shifting from external to integrated behaviour motivation regulatory style perceived causality regulatory processes non self-determinedself-determined external somewhat external internal compliance, external rewards & punishments congruence, awareness, synthesis with self integrated regulation extrinsic motivation external regulation identified regulation introjected regulation somewhat internal self-control, ego involvement, internal rewards & punishments personal importance, conscious valuing

crucial external to integrated shift  good rationale & clear achievement pathway provided (autonomy & competence)  within a supportive relationship that allows expression of feelings (relatedness)  genuine choice is offered (autonomy) social context encourages this shift when...

key points of this talk needs goals motivations self-determination theory & well-being

self-determination theory (SDT)  SDT is a general theory of motivation and personality that has evolved over the past three decades  SDT suggests humans, like plants or other animals, intrinsically ‘strive’ for need satisfaction & flourishing  social contexts can support or thwart this need striving with major effects for health & well-being looking at well-being through the lens of self-determination theory Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, Plenum. Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry 11: