Dr.

Ruth Dehui Zhou

Counselling & Psychology Department,

Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Picture from google search under the theme child play
https://www.google.com.hk/search?hl=zh-
TW&biw=1506&bih=794&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=play+children&oq=play+children&gs_l=img.3..0i19l5j0i5i30i
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Psychological Need
內在
An inherent source of motivation that
generates the desire to interact with the
environment so as to advance personal
growth, social development, and
psychological well-being.

产⽣生与环境互动的欲望，以促进个⼈人成⻓长、社会发展和⼼心理理健康的内在动⼒力力来源。
Psychological Needs
◦ When an activity satisfies our psychological needs, we feel enjoyment

What makes people climbing the Himalayas?

Alpine guide Rich Meyer agrees with the

“conquering the challenge” motivation. He told
Yahoo Travel, “Climbing offers a series of mental and
physical challenges played out in some of the most
beautiful places on our planet. Overcoming those
challenges, feeling a sense of accomplishment, and
learning a little more about yourself is tremendously
rewarding.”

Source from https://nypost.com/2014/06/06/why-people-risk-their-lives-mountain-climbing/

Self-Determination Theory
Organismic Approach to Motivation

Two Assumptions
People are inherently active.

Person-environment dialectic.
Assumptions
People are inherently active. They
◦ choose environment
◦ modify environment
◦ Learn, grow and adapt to
environment Organismic
approach
◦ survival of any organism depends
on the environment to
◦ Organisms need the flexibility to motivation
adjust and accommodate the
changes ⽣生物体需要灵活性来调整和适应变化
◦ Interaction between organisms and
environment
 Organismic approach to
motivation
Person- environment dialectical framework in motivation study

Person acts on the environment The environment offers:

out of: ◦ Affordances (opportunities)
• Curiosity
• Interest ◦ Imposes structure
• Intrinsic motivation to seek out and ◦ Makes demands
affect the changes
◦ Provides feedback
◦ Offers need- satisfying or need-
frustrating relationships

See textbook p. 144, Fig. 6.1 for details

Self-Determination Theory

Three
Psychological Needs

Autonomy Competence Relatedness

(Deci & Ryan, 1991)

 Autonomy is the
psychological need to
experience self-
direction and personal
endorsement in the
initiation and
regulation of one’s
behavior.

Behavior is autonomous (or self-determined) when our interests, preferences, and wants
guide our decision-making process to engage or not to engage in a particular activity.
 Three Subjective Qualities Within
The Experience Of Autonomy
(Reeve, 2009:146)

Perceived Autonomy

Internal
Volition Perceived Choice
Perceived Locus of
Causality
(Feeling Free) over One’s Actions

an individual’s an unpressured sense of choice we

understanding of the
causal source of his or
her motivated actions
willingness to engage in experience when we are in
an activity environments that provide
us with decision-making
flexibility that affords us
with many opportunities to
choose
 The Three qualities of autonomy

因果關係的感知軌跡
a. Perceived locus of causality (PLOC)
◦ An individual’s understanding of the
causal source of his/ her behavior (Heider,
1958)

◦ ie. The reason behind a behavior

◦ Internal PLOC or external PLOC

Eg. Why do you read a book?

✓Interested in the content? IPLOC

✓An exam is upcoming? EPLOC
✓Asked to finish a book report? EPLOC
The Three qualities of autonomy

b. Volition
◦ An unpressured willingness to
engage in an activity (Deci, Ryan &
Williams, 1995)

◦ Volition is high when the person

feels free when engaging in an
activity
◦ Endorsed fully by the individual
The Three qualities of autonomy

c. Choice
◦ Decision making flexibility
◦ Providing choices enhances people’s sense of autonomy
and intrinsic motivation (Zuckerman, Porac, Lathin, Smith,
& Deci, 1978), BUT
◦ Not all choices promote autonomy

Examples set 1
➢ Long questions or short questions in your exam?
➢ Group presentation or individual presentation?
➢ You need to hand in a final paper but you can choose
your own topic
The Three qualities of autonomy

c. Choice
Examples set 2
Question 1: Do you want to listen to classical music or
pop music?
Question 2: Do you want to listen to music?

Examples set 3
Question 1: Do you want to buy me a new bag?
Question 2: Do you want to buy me a Chanel or a LV?
Not all choices promote autonomy.

“either-or” choice offerings

Choice among options offered by others

• True choice over people’s actions

• Meaningful choice that reflects people’s values & interests

Enhance a sense of need- Enhance intrinsic motivation,

satisfying autonomy effort, creativity, preference for
challenge, and performance
 Supporting Autonomy
Autonomy-Supportive vs. Controlling Motivating Style

Autonomy Support

Interpersonal sentiment and behavior to identify, nurture,

and develop another’s inner motivational resources

Control
Interpersonal sentiment and behavior to pressure another
toward compliance with a prescribed way of thinking, feeling,
or behaving
 ENABLEING CONDITION
Supporting
Autonomy
Autonomy
Support Autonomy-
 Takes the other person’s perspective Supportive
 Values personal growth opportunities vs.
Control
Controlling
Motivating
 Pressures the other person toward a
prescribed outcome Style
 Targets a prescribed outcome
 Supporting Autonomy
Autonomy-Supportive vs. Controlling Motivating Style

INSTRUCTIONAL BEHAVIORS

Autonomy Support

• Nurtures Inner Motivational Resources

• Relies on Informational Language
• Promoting Valuing
• Acknowledges and Accepts Negative Affect

Control

• Relies on outer sources of motivation

• Relies on pressuring language
• Neglects explanatory rationales
• Asserts power to silence negative affect and to resolve conflict
Four Essential Ways of Supporting Autonomy
1. Nurtures Inner Motivational Resources

Autonomy-Supportive Motivators
➢ Encourage initiative on others by identifying their interests,
preferences, and competences.
➢ Find ways to allow others to behave in ways that express those
interests, preferences, and competences.
•

Controlling Motivators
➢ Forgo inner motivational resources.
➢ Rely on extrinsic motivators (e.g., incentives, directives,
consequences, and deadlines).
 Four Essential Ways of Supporting Autonomy
2. Relies on Informational Language

Autonomy-Supportive Motivators
➢ Treat listlessness, poor performance, and inappropriate behavior
as motivational problems to be solved
➢ Address the motivational problem with flexible and informational
language
- Diagnose the cause of the motivational problems
- Communicate feedback to identify points of improvement and progress

Controlling Motivators

➢Use a pressuring, rigid, and “no nonsense” communication style

 Four Essential Ways of Supporting Autonomy
3. Promotes Valuing

Autonomy-Supportive Motivators
➢ Communicate the value, worth, meaning, utility, or importance of
engaging in uninteresting tasks
- Using a “because” phrase to explain why the uninteresting activity is worth
the other’s time and effort

Controlling Motivators
➢ Do not take the time to explain the use of importance in engaging in
these sorts of activities
-Saying “Just get it done” or “Do it because I told you to do it”
 Four Essential Ways of Supporting Autonomy
4. Acknowledges and Accepts Negative Affect •承认并接受负⾯面影响

Autonomy-Supportive Motivators
➢ Listen carefully to the expressions of negative affect and resistance
and accept them as valid reactions 仔细倾听消极情绪和抵抗的表达，并将
其作为有效的反应来接受
➢ Work collaboratively with the other person to solve the underlying
a cause of the negative affect and resistance 本⼈人与他⼈人合作解决造成负⾯面影响
和抗拒的潜在原因

Controlling Motivators
➢ Ignore the other’s expressions of negative affect and
resistance 忽视对⽅方消极情感和抗拒的表达
➢ Try to change the negative affect into something more
acceptable 努⼒力力将负⾯面影响转化为可接受的
Moment- to Moment Autonomy Support
What Autonomy-Supportive and Controlling People Say and Do to Motivate Others

What Autonomy-Supportive What Controlling People

People Say and Do Say and Do

❑ Listen carefully ❑ Hold/Hog learning

❑ Allow others time to talk materials
❑ Provide rationale ❑ Show correct answers
❑ Encourage effort 提供理理论基础 ❑ Tell correct answers
❑ Praise progress, mastery ❑ Speak directives,
commands
❑ Ask others what they want
to do ❑ Should, must, have to
statements
❑ Respond to questions
❑ Ask controlling questions
❑ Acknowledge the other’s
❑ Seem demanding
perspective
(See Reeve, 2009: 152)
Benefits From Autonomy Support

Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness


 Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation  Mastery Motivation & Perceived Control

 Curiosity
 Internalized Values
 Engagement
 Positive Emotion
 Less Negative Emotion
Engagement  Class Attendance
 Persistence
 School Retention vs. Dropping Out
 Self-Worth
Development  Creativity
 Preference for Optimal Challenge
Benefits From Autonomy Support
(Cont.)

 Conceptual Understanding
 Deep Processing
Learning  Active Information Processing
 Self-Regulation Strategies

Grades


Performance  Task Performance

 Standardized Test Scores

Psychological  Psychological Well-Being

 Vitality
Well-Being  School/ Life Satisfaction
Two Illustrations
Study 1

Teachers’
Autonomy-
Support Students’
Perceived
Autonomy Students’
Parental Self- Students’
Autonomy- Determined Dropout
Support Academic Behavior
Students’ Motivation
Perceived
Competence
Administrators’
Autonomy-
Support
Figure 6.4 Motivational Model of High-School Dropouts, p. 154
(Vallerand, Fortier, & Guay, 1997)
Two Illustrations
Study 2
⼉儿童从⽀支持⾃自主(⽽而不是控制)的规则中获得的激励效益

Children’s Motivational Benefits from Autonomy-Supportive (Rather Than

Controlling) Rules (Koestner, Ryan, Bernieri, &Holt, 1984 )
Dependent Rules Communicated Rules Communicated in a
Measure in a Controlling Way Autonomy-Supportive Way
Enjoyment M 4.87 5.57
(SD) (0.99) (0.65)
Free Choice M 107.7 257.1
Behavior (SD) (166.0) (212.6)
Creativity M 4.80 5.34
(SD) (1.16) (1.17)
Technical M 4.88 5.90
Goodness (SD) (0.87) (1.28)
Quality M 4.84 5.62
(SD) (0.68) (1.06)
 CHILD-
CENTER
ED PLAY
THERAP
Y

28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A
FVGtPx0s-M&list=PL0D08B6DB5C18B2AB

29
◦ 1.何謂自主?何謂自主學習?

◦ 2.剛才影片中哪些在家學習的因素符
合自主理論?
討論區
◦ 3.請在小組中分享是否有可能進行自
主學習的大學生活,如果可能,請從個人
角度和大學教育的角度來探討可以怎樣
進行?

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 - ⼈人們有時認為低⽔水平的挑戰是令⼈人愉快
的，因為它為他們提供了了⼀一個機會來來接收確

COMPETENCE 認他們技能⽔水平的反饋.
- ⼈人們有時將極具挑戰性的任務視為成長的
機會.
- 當挑戰與技能⽔水平相匹配時，⼀一個⼈人的注
意⼒力力、參參與度和樂樂樂樂趣就會上升

⼀一种与环境有效互动的⼼心理理需求

A psychological need to be effective in

interactions with the environment.
Involving Competence
Key Environmental Conditions

⼼心流:⼀一种全神贯注于某项活动的状态
1. Optimal • Flow: a state of concentration that involves
Challenge and a holistic absorption in an activity
Flow 最佳挑战和流程

在您開始收到反饋之前，⼈人們不會經歷挑戰。
2. Interdependency • Setting the stage for challenge
between Challenge
and Feedback • Performance feedback 为挑战做好准备
•绩效反馈
挑戰與反饋之間的相互依存關係

• Information about the pathways to desired

outcomes •实现预期结果的途径信息
3. Structure •⽀支持和指导这些途径
• Support and guidance for pursing these
pathways
• Considerable error making is essential for
4. Failure optimizing learning. ⼤大量量的错误是优化学习的必要条件
Tolerance
容錯能⼒力力 • Failure produces opportunities for learning.
失败为学习创造机会
通過最佳挑戰，可以體驗成功或失敗。
Involving Competence
Flow
Child
Swimming

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Supporting Competence

Positive Feedback

Four Sources
 Task itself 任务本⾝身 将⼀一个⼈人现在的表现与过去的表现进⾏行行比较
 Comparisons of one’s current performance with one’s own past performance
 Comparisons of one’s current performance with the performance of others
将⾃自⼰己当前的表现与他⼈人的表现进⾏行行比较
 Evaluations of others

最佳挑战和积极反馈的乐趣
Pleasure of Optimal Challenge and Positive Feedback

 Harter’s anagram study (1974)

Children experience the greatest pleasure following success
in the context of moderate challenge 哈特的字谜研究(1974)
孩⼦子们在适度的挑战中经历成功后的最⼤大快乐
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIoL2CRI9uU

36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_eZVPFURUc
 相關性

A psychological need to establish close

emotional bonds and attachments with
other people.
The desire to be emotionally connected to and
interpersonally involved in warm relationships.
⼀一种与他⼈人建立密切情感联系和依恋关系的⼼心理理需求
- 渴望在情感上与他⼈人建立联系并与他⼈人建立亲密关
系
RELATEDNESS
Involving
Relatedness: • Emotionally positive interactions and
Interaction with interaction partners
Others 情感上积极的互动和互动伙伴
涉及关系:与他⼈人的互动

Supporting
Relatedness: • Intimate and High-Quality Relationships that
Perception of involve caring, liking, accepting, and valuing
a Social Bond •涉及关⼼心、喜欢、接受和重视的亲密和⾼高质量量的关系
⽀支持相关性:对社会联系的感知

Communal & • In communal relationships, people care for the

Exchange needs of the other, and both feel an obligation
Relationships to support the other’s welfare
社区与交换关系 在公共关系中，⼈人们关⼼心对⽅方的需要，双⽅方都觉得有义务⽀支持对⽅方的幸福

• Relationships that provide a rich supply of

relatedness need satisfaction and clear and
Internalization
convincing rationale for the other’s
内化
prescriptions and proscriptions
提供了了丰富的相关性的关系需要满⾜足，需要为对⽅方
的处⽅方和禁⽌止提供清晰⽽而令⼈人信服的理理由
 ◦ https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=0iUffUffFOw
Autonomy support helps engagement – it satisfies the
need for autonomy. 它滿⾜足了了⾃自治的需要
Structure enhances engagement – it satisfies the need
for competence. 它滿⾜足了了對能⼒力力的需
Involvement enhances engagement – it satisfies the
need for relatedness 它滿⾜足了了相關性的需要

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGEHER:
SOCIAL CONTEXTS THAT SUPPORT
PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS

Table 6.4 Environmental Factors that Involve and Satisfy the

Psychological Needs(See Reeve, 2009: 165)

Psychological Environmental Condition Environmental Condition

Need that Involves the Need that Satisfies the Need

Autonomy Opportunities for Autonomy support

self-direction

Competence Optimal challenge Positive feedback

Relatedness Social interaction Communal relationships

公共關係
Engagement 參參與度

The Engagement Model Based on Psychological Need Satisfaction

(See Reeve, 2009: 166)
What
Makes
Daily
Autonomy

for a Psychological
Nutriments

Good Daily
for Good
Days
Daily

Day?
Competence Relatedness

Psychological Nutriments necessary for

Good Days, Positive Well-Being, and Vitality
 CLASS
ACTIVITIES

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 Interview

Reflect on an important relationship in your life or in another person’s life, and rate it using a 1-7 bipolar
scale on each of the following four dimensions:
-Relies on outer sources of motivation versus Nurtures inner motivational resources
-Relies on pressuring language versus Relies on informational language.
-Neglects explanatory rationales versus Provides explanatory rationales
-Asserts power to silence negative affect versus Acknowledges and accepts expressions of negative
affect
How obvious vs. subtle are these characteristics?
How engagement-fostering vs. engagement-depleting (in others) are these characteristics?
How central are they to defining a healthy vs. unhealthy relationships?

Continuing thinking about the quality of that relationship. Assuming it is not a perfect relationship, identify
what is frustrating about the way the other person sometimes treats you. Does that sense of
dissatisfaction, however mild, have its root in the neglect or frustration of the psychological need for
autonomy (or competence or relatedness
44
Role-play and Discussion Area:

Talk with your parents what you observe from some parents
when they motivate their children in learning? Try to role play
one episode that may happen in their family. If you are
parents, how will you motivate your own children in learning?

Picture source: http://mobavatar.com/privacy/yeah-we-can-do-it.html

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 Brainstorming

◦ Any suggestions to promote the autonomy, competence and

relatedness in our class?

◦ Try to choose one psychological need and discuss within your group
the programs or strategies, which we can do together to meet that
psychological needs in the class.

46
References
• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). A motivational approach to self:
Integration in personality.In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska
symposium on motivation: Vol. 38, Perspectives on motivation
(pp. 237-288). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
• Harter, S. (1974). Pleasure derived by children from cognitive
challenge and mastery. Child Development, 45, 661-669.
Koestner, R., Ryan, R. M., Bernieri, F., & Holt, K. (1984). Setting
limits on children's behavior: The differential effects of
controlling versus informational styles on intrinsic motivation and
creativity. Journal of Personality, 52, 233-248.
• Kohn, A. (1993). Punished by rewards: The trouble with gold
stars, incentive plans, A's, praise, and other bribes. Boston, Mass:
Houghton Mifflin.
• Reeve, J. (2009). Understanding motivation and emotion (5th
ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley
• Vallerand, R. J., Fortier, M. S., & Guay, F. (1997). Self-
determination and persistence in a real-life setting: Toward a
motivational model of high-school drop out. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1161-1176. 47