What motivates us? Autonomy, competence and relatedness

Step 1 Warm-up recall

From M3.L3: what are the five lines of an evidence card?

Your answer

Private: nothing you type here is sent or stored.

Step 2 Learning goal

By the end of this lesson you can:

• name the three needs in self-determination theory (Foundation);
• distinguish a theory from evidence for it (Core);
• turn a theory into a testable prediction about your own habit (Core).

Step 3 A familiar example

Two students are told to read a book. One is told it is required and will be tested. The other is told to pick any book that interests them. Which is more likely to read for pleasure next year? Theory gives a guess; evidence has to test it.

Step 4 Clear explanation

Ryan and Deci (2000, American Psychologist) described self-determination theory. It names three innate psychological needs: competence, autonomy and relatedness. The authors proposed that people can be proactive and engaged or passive and alienated depending largely on their social conditions, that conditions which satisfy the three needs are linked to greater self-motivation and mental health, and that conditions which thwart them are linked to lower motivation and well-being.

A theory is an organised set of claims that explains patterns. It is not the same as evidence. To test it you need predictions that could turn out wrong. For example: “If people choose their own habit, they will keep it longer than people assigned one.” That could be checked with a comparison.

For your own experiment, the theory suggests asking: did I choose this habit (autonomy)? Can I do it (competence)? Does it connect me to others (relatedness)? Your answers are observations, not tests, but they are worth recording in your daily note.

This lesson gives the theory’s claims as stated in its abstract and does not quote effect sizes for it, because none were verified for this course.

Step 5 Worked example (4 marks)

A coach says: “Self-determination theory proves that choice always increases motivation.”

1. A theory organises claims; it does not “prove” anything. (1 mark)
2. “Always” is too strong; the abstract describes conditions linked to greater motivation. (1 mark)
3. A testable prediction would be “people who choose their habit keep it longer than those assigned one”. (1 mark)
4. Evidence for the prediction would need a comparison and a measure of keeping the habit. (1 mark)

Step 6 Learner practice (instant-marked)

Step 7 Recap

• Self-determination theory names three needs: competence, autonomy and relatedness.
• A theory is not evidence; it should produce predictions that can fail.
• Record observations about choice, ability and connection in your daily note.

Step 8 Exit ticket (ungraded)

Write one testable prediction from self-determination theory that you could check with a comparison.

Your answer

Private: nothing you type here is sent or stored.

Step 9 Go further (Extension)

Read the abstract of Ryan and Deci (2000). Note one claim you think is easy to test and one that is hard.