Self Determination Theory Summary

According to Abraham Maslow, the needs of man begin with the primal – food, water, air, shelter, and move upwards, up and all the way to the elusive quality of self-actualization. To self-actualize is to become all or most of that which one imagines, or perhaps desires, himself to be. It is to realize the ego ideal which rests within, that abstract and fabled construct of an ideal you.

A long-debated argument in the field of Psychology has been which theory or explanation of human behavior is the most important and the most viable. Is B. F. Skinner’s theory that behavior is the result of man’s response to external stimuli or is Carl Rogers’ theory that man’s behavior is the result of his determination to achieve self-actualization the best explanation? After much research and thought, I will argue in favor of Carl Rogers’ Humanistic Theory that “emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth” (Weiten, 2016, p. 9).

Humanistic theories emerged in 1950s. We have two types of humanistic theories, the first one is Person-centred theory by Carl Rogers which is based on how people see them-selves in relation to their personal experience and the second theory is Self-actualisation by Abraham Maslow which is based on the needs that motivate people. In this paper both theories will be described in detail and also they will be evaluated.

This foundation, whether healthy or unhealthy, will form the way in which a person relates as an adult. Like Wilson (2001) and Hawkins (2010) who assert that external factors, such as other people, impact an individual’s emotions and behavior and ultimately form the personality structure, I also believe this personality theory. The Source, Role, and Function of Motivation (.5)

As educators, we are instructing our students not only in matters of scholarship, but in matters of self. Expression through confidence of autonomy, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation are integral to the development of any individual.

According to Psychologist Abraham Maslow in “Self-actualization and Beyond,” self-actualization is a process in which one identifies his inner ability to do something productive. Once this inner talent comes out, that’s when a person actualizes himself. He believes that every individual self-actualizes, and while doing so one might make many wrong choices. Sonny and his older brother are faced with several obstacles while being on a journey to self-actualization in “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. However, these obstacles not only come from their surroundings, but within themselves as well. The narrator himself and his younger brother, Sonny struggle with, and gradually develop their own

Deci and Ryan (1985) developed the self-determination theory to examine the social, psychological, and environmental conditions that are necessary to produce self-motivated behaviors and enhanced performance. The theory has undergone multiple refinements over the years (i.e., Deci, 1975, 1980; Deci & Ryan, 1980, 1985, 1991, 2000, 2008; Ryan & Deci, 2017), but the theory’s central position on the significance of the interaction between the individual

In conclusion, a person must go through a series of step/stages to reach “self-actualization.” They must achieve his/his “safety” and “physiological” needs “(basic needs).” “Esteem” and “belongingness and love” needs “(psychological needs)” to reach the stage of “self-actualization.” Psychological theories helps us better understand why a character does what he/she did. Using the psychological theory can help people reach the stage of self-actualization. Although, some may not reach this stage due to natural or un-natural

Because everyone needs to find self reliance in order to reach the American Dream, they need to go outside of their everyday routines in order to find it. First, people must ignore the social norms that keep them from truly expressing themselves. For example, drinking at a party is considered a social norm. In a study done by LIVESTRONG, they asked teens if they drank at a party only because they felt like they should and 22% of the people admitted they did (Eliza Martinez). Another reason many people don’t find self reliance is because of the way they are raised through their traditions. From my past experience, I grew up in a Catholic, farm family where paying your bills was their way of living. I am trying my best to look past

The concept of interest is self-efficacy. This began in 1977 with Bandura’s social learning theory that was renamed social cognitive theory in 1986, of which self-efficacy was one of the major concepts of his theory. Self-efficacy makes a difference in how people will feel, think, behave, and motivate themselves. A low sense of self-efficacy can be associated with stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of helplessness. Such individuals also have low self-esteem and become pessimistic about their accomplishments and personal development. In thinking terms, a strong sense of efficacy facilitates cognitive processes and performance in a variety of settings, including the quality of decision-making and academic achievement. When it comes to behavior, self-efficacy can be said to influence people’s choice of activities as self-efficacy levels can foster or decrease a person’s motivation. People with high self-efficacy approach difficult tasks as challenges and do not try to avoid them. People’s self-efficacy beliefs determine their level of motivation, as reflected in how much effort they will

Volition is determined by one's innate drive to master his/her environment, as well as his/her beliefs surrounding a behavior (Bruce & Borg, 1993). Personal causation, values, and interests comprise volition. Personal causation is the motivation and expectations surrounding a behavior. It incorporates past successes and failures to form images of self-efficacy. Values represent the importance of certain behaviors to an individual. Interests are determined by the pleasure one derives from engaging in a specific occupation (Kielhofner & Burke, 1980).

Do I have to? I don’t want to do the dishes. Sound familiar? People are motivated to engage in activities throughout life and in the workplace that fulfill their basic needs, and avoid activities that do not meet their needs. Research by Deci and Ryan (1985) supports the self- determination theory as a formal theory that defines intrinsic and varied extrinsic sources of motivation and a description of the respective roles of intrinsic and types of extrinsic motivation in cognitive and social development and in individual differences. Extrinsic motivators come in various forms, creating positive and some negative results when meeting individual basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness.

Maturation is especially important for individuals as it provides several competitive evolutionary advantages (Locke & Bogin, 2006). Through this process, individuals develop and acquire control over their emotions and behaviours. This ability to monitor and adapt our emotions, cognition and behaviours in accordance to the social and intellectual demands of particular contexts is often referred to as self-regulation (Demetriou, 2000; Zimmerman, 2000). Various complex cognitive skills are required for self-regulation. These skills encompass the constant observation of our thoughts and behaviours, knowledge of the demands of any situation, the capability to alter conditions of our current behaviour as required to achieve a goal or suit a situation and attention to how favourably the demands of a context are met (Evans & Rosenbaum, 2008).

This article talks about the psychological needs of human beings where their satisfaction can have a positive or a negative effect in the life of an individual. For instance, the satisfaction of psychological needs will make a person have self- determination, motivation, social development and well-being. On the contrary, the dissatisfaction of psychological needs will make a person aggressive, be ill- be and will lack self- defense and a way of solving issues soundly. The theory of self–determination developed by American Psychologists supported that satisfaction of psychological needs will make an individual to be determined in life and have the strength to face situations positively.

Everyone is aware, that's no big deal. But awareness can be developed as a skill set just as talking can be developed by learning a broader vocabulary. The more you know different kinds of things to pay attention to, the more you can choose (or not) to use that information.