1. Karrie A. Shogren, Ph.D. Michael L. Wehmeyer, Ph.D.
The Development of Self-Determination and Autonomy-Supportive Interventions: Part 1
Karrie A. Shogren, Ph.D.
Michael L. Wehmeyer, Ph.D.

2. What is Self-Determination?
The philosophical doctrine of determinism posits that actions are caused by events or natural laws that precede or are antecedent to the occurrence of the action.
Self-determinism, or self-determination, implies that individuals cause themselves to act in certain ways, as opposed to someone or something else ‘causing’ us to act in certain ways
People who are self-determined embody the characteristic or quality of ‘self-determination,’ a noun referring to the degree to which that person acts or behaves in ways that are self- (instead of other-) caused.

3. What is Self-Determination?
Self-Determination is a
“…dispositional characteristic manifested as acting as the causal agent in one’s life. Self-determined people (i.e., causal agents) act in service to freely chosen goals. Self-determined actions function to enable a person to be the causal agent in his or her life.”
A causal agent is someone who makes or causes things to happen in his or her life.
Causal Agency Theory Essential Characteristics
Volitional Action
Self-initiated actions that function to enable a person to act autonomously (i.e., engage in self-governed action)
Agentic Action
Enable a person to make progress toward freely chosen goals and respond to opportunities and challenges in their environments
Action-Control Beliefs
Enable a person to act with self-awareness and self-knowledge in an empowered, goal-directed manner
Shogren, K.A., Wehmeyer, M.L., Palmer, S.B., Forber-Pratt, A., Little, T., & Lopez, S. (2015). Causal Agency Theory: Reconceptualizing a functional model of self-determination. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 50(3),

4. Self-Determined Action
Causal Agency Theory
Self-Determined Action
Volitional Action
Autonomy
Self-Initiation
Agentic Action
Pathways Thinking
Self-Direction
Self-Regulation
Action-Control Beliefs
Control-Expectancy
Psychological Empowerment
Self-Realization

5. Components of Causal Agency Theory

6. Self-Determined Action
Causal Agency Theory
Self-Determined Action
Volitional Action
Autonomy
Self-Initiation
Agentic Action
Pathways Thinking
Self-Direction
Self-Regulation
Action-Control Beliefs
Control-Expectancy
Psychological Empowerment
Self-Realization