Table 1.
Macro‐theoretical features of SDT and PSI theory
| SDT | PSI theory | |
|---|---|---|
| Roots |
Distal: Humanistic psychology (since 1950s) Proximal: Social‐psychological experiments on intrinsic motivation (Deci, 1971) |
Distal: German volition psychology (1900–1930s) Proximal: Action control theory (Kuhl, 1985) |
| Core propositions |
Every human being has three basic needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When people can satisfy these needs, people enter into an autonomous mode of self‐regulation that fosters intrinsic engagement and well‐being. When need satisfaction is thwarted, people enter into an alienated mode of self‐regulation that fosters inner conflict and reduced well‐being. The balance between autonomous and controlled self‐regulation is determined by the supportiveness of the (social) situation and chronic causality orientations. |
Fully functioning persons can form and enact intentions (volitional efficiency) and learn from negative experiences (personal growth). Volitional efficiency requires coordination between planning and action, which is facilitated by changes in positive affect. Personal growth requires coordination between autobiographical memory and elementary perception, which is facilitated by changes in negative affect. Affect regulation may occur via social support or self‐regulatory skills (action orientation), developed through sensitive interpersonal interactions. |
| Methodologies | Surveys, longitudinal studies, experience sampling, behavioral experiments | Surveys, behavioral experiments, objective measures of personality competencies |
| Key findings |
Psychological need satisfaction predicts intrinsic motivation and well‐being across life domains and cultures. Rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation when people experience them as controlling. Autonomy support promotes internalization of initially unattractive activities. Autonomy orientation is associated with higher intrinsic motivation, more internalized motivation, and greater well‐being. |
Demand‐related action orientation predicts efficient formation and enactment of difficult intentions. Threat‐related action orientation predicts better access to autobiographical memory and intuitive detection of semantic meaning. Functional advantages of action orientation emerge especially under stressful conditions. Both types of action orientation are associated with efficient affect regulation. |
Note. SDT = self‐determination theory; PSI = personality systems interactions.