Autonomy support, basic need satisfaction and the optimal functioning of adult male and female sport participants: A test of basic needs theory

Grounded in Basic Needs Theory (BNT; Ryan and Deci, American Psychologist, 55, 68–78, 2000a), the present study aimed to: (a) test a theoretically-based model of coach autonomy support, motivational processes and well-/ill being among a sample of adult sport participants, (b) discern which basic psychological need(s) mediate the link between autonomy support and well-/ill-being, and (c) explore gender invariance in the hypothesized model. Five hundred and thirty nine participants (Male = 271;Female = 268; Mage = 22.75) completed a multi-section questionnaire tapping the targeted variables. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that coach autonomy support predicted participants’ basic need satisfaction for autonomy, competence and relatedness. In turn, basic need satisfaction predicted greater subjective vitality when engaged in sport. Participants with low levels of autonomy were more susceptible to feeling emotionally and physically exhausted from their sport investment. Autonomy and competence partially mediated the path from autonomy support to subjective vitality. Lastly, the results supported partial invariance of the model with respect to gender

A longitudinal analysis of motivation profiles at work

This paper examines the multidimensional nature of workplace motivation and the importance of a continuum structure in self-determination theory through application of complementary variable- and person-centered approaches. This approach is taken to simultaneously model the complexity of motivation and highlight interactions between motivational factors. Additionally, this study represents an initial test of the temporal stability of work motivation profiles. A sample of 510 full-time employees were recruited from a range of occupations. Results support the central importance of a general factor representing self-determination as the most influential factor in an employee’s motivation profile. However, smaller effects associated with the motivation subscales, especially identified regulation, were also noticed. Importantly, motivation profiles were found to be highly stable over the 4-month duration of this study. Results lend support to the theoretical position that while general self-determination is an essential component of motivation, it alone does not fully describe an employee’s motivation

Professional excellence: the necessary convergence of psychological variables

O estudo da excelência humana assume essencialmente dois enfoques, um deles acentuando as variáveis psicológicas dos indivíduos e outro enfatizando as aquisições decorrentes da prática ou treino deliberado. Neste artigo procurou-se integrar tais estudos, propondo que o surgimento e a manutenção da excelência pressupõem uma constelação de variáveis psicológicas que vão para além da alta capacidade intelectual. Mais concretamente, descreveu-se um conjunto de variáveis cognitivas, motivacionais e de personalidade, assumidas como relevantes na excelência profissional em diferentes áreas de desempenho e de conhecimento. No seio das variáveis cognitivas e, fazendo uma ponte com as variáveis de personalidade, destaca-se o papel da criatividade para a excelência, reconhecendo a sua particular relevância em algumas áreas de realização profissional.The study of human excellence can be described based on two main approaches focusing either on individuals' psychological variables or on acquisitions by training or deliberate practice. The purpose of this study is to integrate these models based on the assumption that the emergence and maintenance of excellence requires a constellation of fundamental psychological variables that transcend intellectual capacity. More specifically, a set of cognitive, motivational, and personality variables that are considered important for professional excellence in different levels of performance and areas of knowledge were described. Among the cognitive variables and their association with personality variables, it is worth mentioning the significant role of creativity in the pursuit of excellence, recognizing its relevance to specific areas of professional performance.(undefined

Personal control decreases narcissistic but increases non-narcissistic in-group positivity

Objective: We examined the effects of control motivation on in-group positivity. Past research suggests that people compensate for low personal control by increasing support for social ingroups. We predicted that the effect of personal control on in-group positivity would depend on the type of in-group positivity. Low personal control should increase compensatory, narcissistic in-group positivity, while high personal control should increase secure, non-narcissistic in-group positivity. Method: These hypotheses were tested in a cross-sectional survey (Study 1, n= 1083,54% female, Mage= 47.68), two experiments (Study 2, n= 105, 50% female, Mage = 32.05; Study 3, n=154, 40% female, Mage= 29.93) and a longitudinal survey (Study 4, n= 398, 51% female,Mage= 32.05). Results: In all studies personal control was negatively associated with narcissistic in-group positivity but positively associated with non-narcissistic in-group positivity. The longitudinal survey additionally showed that the positive relationship between personal controland non-narcissistic in-group positivity was reciprocal. Moreover, both types of in-group positivity differentially mediated between personal control and out-group attitudes:narcissistic in-group positivity predicted negative attitudes and non-narcissistic positivity predicted positive attitudes. Conclusions: These findings highlight the role of individual motivation in fostering different types of in-group positivity and intergroup outcomes

Knowledge for games, games for knowledge: designing a digital roll-and-move board game for a law of torts class

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A metamodel approach towards Self-Determination Theory: A study of New Zealand managers’ organisational citizenship behaviours

The present study brings together the multiple dimensions of self-determination theory (SDT), the three facilitators (global aspirations, global motivation and mindfulness), the three needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness), and perceived autonomous support (PAS) towards the organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) of 386 New Zealand managers. SDT suggests that individuals with higher SDT dimensions will achieve greater motivation and wellbeing, however, few studies include more than one SDT dimension. The findings show that overall the majority of SDT dimensions were significantly correlated to OCB dimensions. Moderated regression analysis found that auntomous motivation was positvely rateled to OCBs with controlled motivations negatively rated to OCBs. PAS and most of the need satisfaction dimensions were also positively rated to OCBs. Intrinsic aspirations were related to OCBs individual only. PAS was also tested as a moderator of SDT dimensions, and five significant interactions were found to influence OCB individual and one to influence OCBs organisational. Overall, the highest levels of OCBs were reported by managers with higher than average PAS and those who rated highly on the SDT dimensions.. This study provides strong and consistent support that SDT dimensions influence OCBs, and the consistent influence of PAS highlights the importance of workplace context