•  2
    ABSTRACT This paper addresses three basic questions about moral motivation. Concerning the nature of moral motivation, it argues that it involves responsiveness to both reasons of morality and the value of persons and everything else of value. Moral motivation is thus identified as reason-responsive appropriate valuing. Regarding whether it is possible for people to be morally motivated, the paper relies on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to show how moral motivation is a likely product of educa…Read more
  •  13
    Beyond reductionism: Understanding motivational energization requires higher-order constructs
    with Kennon M. Sheldon
    Behavioral and Brain Sciences 48. 2025.
    We argue that the target article's computational/reductionistic approach to motivation is insufficient to explain the energization of human behavior, because such explanation requires broad consideration of “what people are trying to do.” We illustrate what is gained by retaining (rather than jettisoning) higher-order motivation constructs and show that the authors’ approach assumes, but fails to name, such constructs.
  •  2
    Self-Determination Theory and the Explanatory Role of Psychological Needs In Human Well-Being
    with Edward L. Deci, &amp Vansteenkiste, and Maarten
    In Luigino Bruni, Flavio Comim & Maurizio Pugno (eds.), Capabilities and Happiness, Oxford University Press. 2008.
  •  32
    Not the Master of Your Volitional Mind? The Roles of the Right Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Personality Traits in Unconscious Introjections Versus Self-Chosen Goals
    with Markus Quirin, André Kerber, Ekkehard Küstermann, Elise L. Radtke, Miguel Kazén, Carsten Konrad, Nicola Baumann, Michael Ennis, and Julius Kuhl
    Frontiers in Psychology 13. 2022.
    Humans are unconditionally confronted with social expectations and norms, up to a degree that they, or some of them, have a hard time recognizing what they actually want. This renders them susceptible for introjection, that is, to unwittingly or “unconsciously” mistake social expectations for self-chosen goals. Such introjections compromise an individual’s autonomy and mental health and have been shown to be more prevalent in individuals with rumination tendencies and low emotional self-awarenes…Read more
  •  53
    Designing for Motivation, Engagement and Wellbeing in Digital Experience
    with Dorian Peters and Rafael A. Calvo
    Frontiers in Psychology 9 797. 2018.
  •  37
    Life goals or aspirations can be distinguished as intrinsic or extrinsic, with different implications for well-being. In this study we used network analysis to reexamine this intrinsic-extrinsic distinction, illustrating how novel candidate aspirations can be mapped along this dimension using innovative methods. We identify four previously unexamined life aspirations, predicting that aspiring for power and social adherence would group with extrinsic goals, whereas aspiring for self-expression an…Read more
  •  31
    Corrigendum: Effortless Willpower? The Integrative Self and Self-Determined Goal Pursuit
    with Markus Quirin, Marius Jais, Stefano I. Di Domenico, and Julius Kuhl
    Frontiers in Psychology 12. 2021.
  •  31
    Effortless Willpower? The Integrative Self and Self-Determined Goal Pursuit
    with Markus Quirin, Marius Jais, Stefano I. Di Domenico, and Julius Kuhl
    Frontiers in Psychology 12. 2021.
  •  34
    Information Safety Assurances Increase Intentions to Use COVID-19 Contact Tracing Applications, Regardless of Autonomy-Supportive or Controlling Message Framing
    with Emma L. Bradshaw, Michael Noetel, Alexander K. Saeri, Peter Slattery, Emily Grundy, and Rafael Calvo
    Frontiers in Psychology 11. 2021.
    Promoting the use of contact tracing technology will be an important step in global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Across two studies, we assessed two messaging strategies as motivators of intended contact tracing uptake. In one sample of 1117 Australian adults and one sample of 888 American adults, we examined autonomy-supportive and controlling message framing and the presence or absence of information safety as predictors of intended contact tracing application uptake, using an online r…Read more
  •  2187
    Supporting human autonomy in AI systems
    with Rafael Calvo, Dorian Peters, and Karina Vold
    In Christopher Burr & Luciano Floridi (eds.), Ethics of digital well-being: a multidisciplinary approach. 2020.
    Autonomy has been central to moral and political philosophy for millenia, and has been positioned as a critical aspect of both justice and wellbeing. Research in psychology supports this position, providing empirical evidence that autonomy is critical to motivation, personal growth and psychological wellness. Responsible AI will require an understanding of, and ability to effectively design for, human autonomy (rather than just machine autonomy) if it is to genuinely benefit humanity. Yet the ef…Read more
  •  353
    Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior
    with Edward L. Deci
    Springer Verlag. 2013.
    Early in this century, most empirically oriented psychologists believed that all motivation was based in the physiology of a set of non-nervous system tissue needs. The theories of that era reflected this belief and used it in an attempt to explain an increasing number of phenomena. It was not until the 1950s that it became irrefutably clear that much of human motivation is based not in these drives, but rather in a set of innate psychological needs. Their physiological basis is less understood;…Read more
  •  198
    L9: Self-Determination Research: Reflections and Future Directions
    with Edward L. Deci
    In Edward L. Deci & Richard M. Ryan (eds.), Handbook of Self-Determination Research, University of Rochester Press. pp. 431. 2002.
  •  150
    Legislating competence: High-stakes testing policies and their relations with psychological theories and research
    with Kirk W. Brown
    In Andrew J. Elliot & Carol S. Dweck (eds.), Handbook of Competence and Motivation, The Guilford Press. pp. 354--372. 2005.
  •  296
  •  31
    Autonomy is no illusion
    with Edward L. Deci
    In Jeff Greenberg, Sander Leon Koole & Thomas A. Pyszczynski (eds.), Handbook of Experimental Existential Psychology, Guilford Press. pp. 455. 2004.
  •  53