<p><i>Background.</i> Regular physical activity is beneficial for older adults in order to protect against age related injuries and illnesses, and to maintain their independence and quality of life. However, older adults are the least likely age group to meet the physical activity guidelines set forth by the American College of Sports Medicine and World Health Organization. According to the self-determination theory framework, health practitioners and exercise instructors should aim to create and deliver interventions in a way that fosters an autonomy-supportive health care climate (e.g., taking the perspectives of patients, providing choices) to facilitate satisfaction of the basic psychological needs and self-determined motivation. <i>Purpose</i>. The specific aims of this study were to (1) determine whether autonomy support is associated with physical activity-related need for autonomy, autonomous regulation, and physical activity behavior; and to (2) determine whether autonomy support moderates the association between physical activity-related need for autonomy and autonomous regulation. <i>Methods.</i> The design of the study was longitudinal. A total of 431 adults aged ≥ 55 years completed an online survey (Baseline – Week 0) containing self-determination theory-related predictor variables, along with past month and past week physical activity. Weekly online physical activity recall questionnaires were completed for four weeks (at Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4). The product of coefficient <i>a</i> × <i>b</i> approach was used to test the mediation effect using multiple linear regression analysis. The Monte Carlo 95% confidence interval [95% CI] (5,000 bootstrap samples) for the mediated effects were obtained using Hayes SAS MCMED macro. <i>Results. </i>Physical activity-related need for autonomy was found to partially mediate the relationship between autonomy support and autonomous regulation, but only for those who were engaging in physical activity 2 days per week (0.0195 [0.0004, 0.0438]) and ≥ 4 days per week (0.0390 [0.0098, 0.0774]). Additionally, the physical activity-related need for autonomy and autonomous regulation were found to mediate the relationship between autonomy support and physical activity, but only for those who were previously physically active (≥ 4 days per week in the last month) and younger (e.g. aged 58 years). Autonomy support was not found to moderate the need for autonomy-autonomous regulation relationship. Physical activity-related need for competence was positively associated with autonomous regulation and physical activity behavior. <i>Conclusion.</i> In line with the self-determination theory, the current findings suggest that the facilitation of autonomy support and the subsequent fulfillment of the psychological needs; consequently, lead to an increase in autonomous regulation. Future research should consider how the need for competence plays a role in physical activity participation beyond autonomous regulation as adults age. </p>

Abstract This thesis is intended to explore the international relations of emerging nation-building in the Somali coast, with particular reference to the un-recognised Republic of Somaliland in the north-western Horn of Africa region. This study focuses on the international relations of Somaliland’s international quest for recognition, linked to its own culturally-rooted internal reconciliatory post-war nation-building efforts. Informed by written as well as first-hand research interviews, particular focus is placed in this study on the interplay of internal and external forces in shaping a strategy by Somaliland’s elites for acquiring international recognition and national selfdetermination. These are placed within the broader regional and international context of attempts to resuscitate the Somali state, an endeavour offering a fitting assessment of different modalities of African nation-building within the greater Somali environment. In relative analytic terms, the competitive international relations of nation-building in Somaliland and state reconstitution in southern Somalia informs the underlying hypothesis of this thesis: Somaliland’s example as a study in the efficacy of the internally-driven, culturally-rooted ‘bottom-up’ approach to post-war nation-building and regional stability, and the implications this holds for prioritising reconciliation between indigenous traditions and modernity in achieving stability in nation-building. By contrast, the internationally-backed ‘top-down’ approach to reconstituting a Mogadishu-based Somali state remains elusive. Yet, the international status quo regarding the affording of diplomatic recognition to what are normally considered secessionist ‘break-away’ regions of internationally recognised states, complicates Somaliland’s culturally rooted ‘bottom-up’ modalities. It also challenges the African Union (AU) during the ‘good governance’ era of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a context within which Somaliland fits comfortably as a good citizen of the international community. The international relations of the Somaliland nation-building enterprise is approached from a ‘quadrilateral framework’ of interactive elements to the Somaliland experience: Reconciliation, Reconstruction, Religion and Recognition. This framework informs the four core chapters of the thesis.

Abstract Background:  Both the fitness and gamification industry are booming with no signs of slowing down in the near future. Gamified applications are entering the markets, attempting to induce gameful elements into tedious environments to enhance intrinsic motivation. The same goes for the gym sector, as market leaders, such as the Swedish gym chain Nordic Wellness, are increasingly implementing gamification elements into their business models.   Problem: The true effectiveness of gamification on intrinsic motivation remains underdeveloped. Literature highlights the necessity of adapting gamification design towards the end-user, by considering the different effects from the individual game elements and the context. However, the gym context has been completely neglected, even though gamification has become increasingly utilized in this sector.     Purpose: The purpose of this study is to increase the body of knowledge on how extrinsic mechanisms such as gamification can influence intrinsic motivation. This study utilizes the context of a gamified gym application for Nordic Wellness to determine the motivational potential of game elements. Thereby, the research team attempts to add to the body of literature by expanding on the effectiveness of gamification on intrinsic motivation, while also contributing through entering a currently undiscovered domain of gamification in the gym context.   Method: A qualitative approach with fifteen semi-structured interviews has been conducted on young Swedish adults attending the Swedish gym chain Nordic Wellness.   Results: The findings suggest Self-Determination Theory as a valid framework to examine the effects of gamification on intrinsic motivations. Through connecting the identified themes and theory, a framework is proposed for the evaluation on the effectiveness of game elements on intrinsic motivation. From evaluating the discussed game elements through this framework, recommendations are made for a gamified gym application that is argued to positively satisfy the psychological needs and therefore enhance the intrinsic motivations in a gym context.

Vårt syfte med denna uppsats har varit att öka vår förståelse för om, och i så fall hur, ledarskap skiljer sig åt mellan idrottsorganisationer och näringsliv med fokus på ledare och spelare/medarbetare. Uppsatsen har en kvalitativ ansats med semi-strukturerade intervjuer, där både ledare och spelare/medarbetare från båda organisationer intervjuats. Ledarskapen har jämförts med hjälp av The Full Range of Leadership av Bass &amp; Bass (2008) samt The Self- Determination Theory av Ryan &amp; Deci (2000). Våra resultat visar att ledarskapet skiljer sig åt på flera punkter, däribland mål, konflikthantering, feedback och motivation. Vi fann även likheter som bestrider tidigare forskning.

Self-concept stability was tested in three studies to examine the relationship between stability in one's self-concept and the ability to adapt to changes in the social environment. Much of the literature on the topic of self-stability emphasizes the functional benefits of stability and the negative outcomes associated with instability. Dynamical systems theory purports however that stability in a dynamical system is indicative of a loss of complexity that limits the range of the systems behavior. Accordingly, this series of studies tests the idea that a stable self-system may have a more limited range of behaviors than unstable self-systems and this may have implications for adapting to changes in one's social environment. The overarching hypothesis is that compared to those with less stable self-views, those with stable self-views will demonstrate lower levels of flexibility of behavior in response to changing social demands. Study 1 assessed the dynamics of participants' evaluations by asking them to complete a self-descriptive recording and evaluate their self-descriptions using the mouse paradigm procedure. Participants also completed a series of questionnaires assessing personality factors and behavioral and cognitive flexibility. Study 2 expanded on the first study by adding a well-validated measure of self-esteem stability and a social conceptualization of behavioral flexibility. Study 3 tested participants' willingness to demonstrate behavioral flexibility in an actual social situation and examined the effects of stress on the relationship between stability and flexibility. / Results suggest that those with more stable self-concepts demonstrate less flexibility in response to their social environment than those whose self-concepts are less stable and that stress tends to amplify this relationship. Future research is also recommended to achieve a fuller understanding of stability in the self-system and its implications for social functioning. / by Susan L. Wiese. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Early research on motivation draws connections to what are now understood as aspects of sensemaking, however research does not explicitly draw a connection to the theory of sensemaking itself. Therefore, the sensemaking perspective is applied to the motivational theory of self determination in order to gain a deeper understanding of how and why motivation develops through sensemaking. This is accomplished through a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews for empirical data collection, followed by thematic analysis. The research concludes with a representation of the sequential process that demonstrates the interconnectedness of sensemaking and motivation, demonstrating the connection between environmental change, meaning creation and internalization, need satisfaction, motivation and action. Consequently, this research provides insight to the co-existence of sensemaking and motivation, facilitating opportunities to reach a more complete understanding of how individual motivation actually exists and develops.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo levantar o perfil motivacional de alunos das três séries do ensino médio, de três escolas públicas da cidade de São Carlos/SP, nas aulas de Química. Para uma aprendizagem com mais qualidade é fundamental que os alunos estejam motivados. A motivação para a realização ou não de determinada atividade pode estar relacionada a causas internas ou externas. Para melhor entendimento da motivação no contexto escolar foi utilizado como referencial teórico a Teoria da Autodeterminação, que descreve seis possíveis níveis motivacionais que um indivíduo pode apresentar, propondo assim um continuum de autodeterminação partindo da desmotivação, passando pelos quatro tipos de regulação: externa, introjetada, identificada e integrada e por fim a motivação intrínseca. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados dois instrumentos, um quantitativo que foi um questionário de escala Likert de cinco pontos, onde os alunos assinalaram o nível de concordância, dentre cinco níveis, para cada uma das 18 afirmações propostas. Responderam ao questionário 376 alunos da Escola \"A\", 104 alunos da Escola \"B\" e 142 alunos da Escola \"C\". O segundo instrumento foi qualitativo, sendo duas entrevistas semiestruturadas, uma para três professores responsáveis pelas aulas de Química de cada escola, e a outra com 18 alunos selecionados a partir da análise dos questionários. Para análise dos dados coletados pelo questionário foi utilizado o método do Ranking Médio. Já as entrevistas semiestruturadas foram analisadas utilizando análise de conteúdo. A análise do questionário mostrou que a maioria dos alunos das três escolas apresentou como perfil motivacional a regulação Integrada, importante resultado no que tange aos motivos para a aprendizagem. Esse resultado pode ser complementado pela análise das entrevistas, na qual os professores apresentaram estilo motivacional promotor de autonomia, um importante fator que contribui para um perfil motivacional mais autorregulado. As entrevistas com os alunos em relação ao interesse pelas aulas de Química mostraram correspondência, na maioria dos casos, com as respostas do questionário de cada entrevistado, complementando assim a visão do perfil motivacional dos alunos. Por fim destacaram-se alguns fatores que podem afetar a motivação dos alunos como: família, recompensas externas, aulas práticas e ambiente escolar. Assim, os instrumentos de coleta de dados quantitativo e qualitativo mostraram-se adequados para os objetivos do trabalho, porém é importante a continuidade das pesquisas sobre a motivação nas aulas de Química, buscando o melhoramento dos instrumentos de coleta de dados e também novos métodos de análise dos mesmos, para um melhor entendimento desse fenômeno, já que esse tema ainda é escasso no cenário brasileiro. / The present study aimed to raise the motivational profile of students from the three high school grades, three public schools in the city of São Carlos / SP, in classes of Chemistry. For a higher quality learning is critical that students are motivated. The motivation for performing or not a determined activity can be related to internal or external causes. For a better understanding of motivation in school context was used as a theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory, which describes six possible motivational levels that an individual may have, thus proposing a continuum of self-determination based on the motivation, through the four types of regulation: external, introjected, identified, integrated and finally intrinsic motivation. To collect data were used two instruments: a quantitative, which was a questionnaire of Likert five-point scale, where students marked the level of agreement among five levels for each of the 18 proposed statements. The student\'s number that answered the questionnaire was: 376 students from the school \"A\", 104 students from the School \"B\" and 142 students from the School \"C\". The second instrument was a qualitative, two semi-structured interviews, one to three teachers responsible for classes in Chemistry from each school, and the other with 18 students selected from the analysis of the questionnaires. To analyze the data collected by the questionnaire was used the Middle Ranking method. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed through the content analysis. The analysis of the questionnaire showed that most students of the three schools presented as motivational profile the integrated regulation, important result regarding the motives for learning. This result can be complemented by the analysis of the interviews in which teachers presented motivational style promoter of autonomy, an important factor that contributes to a more self-regulated motivational profile. The interview with students about the interest in chemistry classes showed correspondence, in most cases, with the questionnaire\'s answers of each interviewed, complementing thus the vision of the motivational profile of students. Finally highlight some factors that may affect students\' motivation as: family, external rewards, practical classes and school environment. Thus, the instruments for collecting quantitative and qualitative data were adequate for the purposes of work, but it is important to continue the research on motivation in chemistry classes, seeking improved tools for data collection and also new methods analysis of them for a better understanding of this phenomenon, since this topic is still scarce in the Brazilian scenario.

L’autodétermination est un droit universel qui repose sur le principe de normalisation (Nirje, 1972). Wehmeyer (1999) définit le concept d’autodétermination comme l’ensemble des habiletés et attitudes requises chez une personne, lui permettant d'agir directement sur sa vie en effectuant librement des choix non influencés par des agents externes. En accord avec ces idées, les politiques sociales de nombreux pays placent le concept d’autodétermination comme un élément central, permettant de guider toute démarche d’accompagnement des personnes en situation de handicap et notamment des personnes présentant une Déficience Intellectuelle (DI). Les recherches montrent que les personnes présentant une trisomie 21 présentent une autodétermination limitée, ainsi que des difficultés cognitives, motrices et de fonctionnement quotidien qui ne leur permettent pas de participer pleinement à leur vie et à leur communauté. Les technologies d’assistance, et en particulier les technologies de soutien à l’autodétermination, offrent des perspectives extrêmement prometteuses chez les personnes présentant une DI, notamment en ce qui concerne le développement personnel, les compétences, l'inclusion sociale ou encore la participation communautaire. Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de cette thèse sont de : 1) mieux comprendre les difficultés d’autodétermination des personnes présentant une trisomie 21 ; 2) mieux comprendre les difficultés cognitives dans cette population ; et 3) concevoir et valider deux outils numériques de soutien à l’autodétermination. Les résultats des études présentées dans cette thèse montrent que l’autorégulation est la composante de l’autodétermination perçue comme étant la plus faible par les personnes présentant une trisomie 21, alors que l’autonomie comportementale et l’autoréalisation ne sont pas perçues comme étant problématiques. Ils montrent également que le niveau d’autodétermination est lié aux compétences langagières, mnésiques ainsi qu’aux capacités motrices. De plus, ces études mettent en avant des déficits de mémoire prospective et de prise de décision chez les adultes présentant une trisomie 21, en lien également avec les difficultés d’autodétermination et d’autorégulation. Enfin, les deux assistances numériques conçues et développées ont montré leur efficacité (amélioration de la richesse du projet de vie, pour l’un, et des habiletés domiciliaires, pour l’autre). Leur utilisation prolongée a été associée à des répercussions extrêmement positives sur le bien-être psychologique, l’inquiétude, l’autodétermination et l’estime de soi. / Self-determination is a universal right based on the principle of normalization (Nirje, 1972). Wehmeyer (1999) defines the concept of self-determination as the set of skills and attitudes required for individuals to act upon their lives by making free choices that are not influenced by unwanted external agents. In line with this concept, the social policies of many countries place self-determination as a central element in support for people with disabilities, especially people with intellectual disability (ID). Research shows that people with ID have self-determination, cognitive, motor, and daily functioning difficulties that do not allow them to fully participate in their lives and their communities. Assistive technologies, and in particular self-determination support technologies, offer extremely promising perspectives for people with ID, especially with regard to personal development, skills, social inclusion or community participation. In this context, the objectives of this thesis are: 1) to better understand the difficulties of self-determination of people with Down syndrome; 2) to better understand the cognitive difficulties in this population; and 3) to design, develop and validate two digital assistants for self-determination support. The results of the studies, presented in this thesis, show that self-regulation is the component of self-determination perceived as the weakest by people with Down syndrome, while autonomy and self-realization are not perceived as problematic. Furthermore, the level of self-determination is related to language, memory and motor skills. Prospective memory and decision-making abilities are deficient in adults with Down syndrome and are also related to elf-determination and self-regulation. Finally, the two digital assistants that we have designed and developed have shown their effectiveness: improvement of ideas and elements related to the life plan and home skills. Their prolonged use of these technologies has also been associated with extremely positive impact on psychological well-being, worry, self-determination and self-esteem

Destruktiva former av ledarskap har visat sig ha stor negativ påverkan på både individnivå och organisatorisk nivå. För att minska förekomsten av destruktiva ledarbeteenden är det viktigt att förstå vad som bidrar till att chefer agerar destruktivt. Studien syftade därför till att undersöka antecedenter (orsaker) till kontrollerande ledarskap. Data insamlades i en medelstor kommun genom webbaserade enkäter till chefer (n = 37) och deras medarbetare (n = 329) vid två tillfällen. Flernivåanalys användes för att analysera data. I linje med Self-determination theory (SDT) visade resultaten att lägre känsla av kompetens hos medarbetare predicerar ökad grad av kontrollerande ledarbeteenden hos chefer. Vidare återfanns resultat som visar att medarbetares arbetsprestation samt chefers stress inte predicerar kontrollerande ledarskap. Sammanfattningsvis indikerar resultaten att följare har betydelse för ledares användande av kontrollerande ledarbeteenden. Denna kunskap kan bidra till utformningen av interventioner i syfte att minska kontrollerande ledarskap och i förlängningen de kostsamma effekter som följer. / Destructive forms of leadership have been proved to have major negative impact at both individual and organizational levels. To reduce the occurrence of destructive management behaviors it is important to understand what contributes to the manager acting destructive. The study therefore aimed to investigate antecedents (causes) to controlling leadership. Data were collected in a medium-sized municipality through web-based surveys, to managers (n = 37) and their employees (n = 329) on two occasions. Multilevel analysis was used to analyze data. In line with Self-determination theory (SDT), the results showed lower sense of competence among employees predicts higher levels of controlling leadership behaviors among managers. Furthermore, the results showed that employees’ work performance and managers’ stress do not predict controlling leadership. In summary, the results indicate that followers play a role in manager’s use of controlling leadership behaviors. This knowledge can contribute to the design of interventions in order to reduce controlling leadership and, in the long run, the costly effects that follows.

Denna studies syfte var att undersöka vilka uppgifter i matematikämnet som elever själva valde när de gavs möjlighet. Bakgrunden till studien har sitt ursprung i en systematisk litteraturstudie med syftet att se om undervisningens utformning kan påverka elevernas motivation och attityd inför matematikämnet. Studien och resultatet bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer med 30 elever från två olika skolor. I intervjun fick eleverna börja med att själva berätta vad de tycker om att arbeta med inom matematik. Därefter utvärderades åtta olika matematikuppgifter och eleverna fick svara på vilka de föredrog att arbeta med. Denna studie visar att eleverna själva föredrog matematikuppgifter kopplade till den inre motivationen då de känner en tilltro till sin egen förmåga när de själva gav möjlighet att välja uppgifter. De uppgifter som eleverna föredrog är de uppgifter som ligger på en elevnära, spännande och lustfylld nivå som är rätt för varje enskild individ.