Self-determination theory: A theoretical and empirical overview in occupational health psychology

The present chapter presents Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000; Vansteenkiste, Ryan, & Deci, in press) and points at its applicability for occupational health psychology. Over some 40 years of research, SDT has developed into a grand theory of human motivation and optimal functioning. The theory has been applied to various life domains including education, exercising, development, parenting and relationships. Recently, the theory was introduced in the field of occupational health psychology and several empirical contributions have now provided support for its validity (Gagné & Deci, 2005; Scheldon, Turban, Brown, Barrick, & Judge, 2003). Within this chapter, we provide a conceptual overview of SDT and review the empirical findings that have supported its theoretical assumptions. We start with an outline of SDT's meta-theoretical assumptions. We then describe three important themes within SDT, that is, 1) the distinction between qualitative different types of behavioural regulation, labelled as the 'why' of behaviour, 2) the differentiation between qualitative different goal orientations, conceptualised as the 'what' of behaviour and 3) the concept of basic psychological need satisfaction. We furthermore discuss job design and leadership style, which represent two important organisational aspects to which SDT has been fruitfully applied. We conclude with a summary of SDT’s most important contributions for occupational health psychology.

ISBN:978-1-904761-82-2

Publication year:2008

Accessibility:Open