Studien handlar om svenska gymnasieelevers motivation för att studera matematikämnet. Den teoretiska grunden hämtas ifrån Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur väl gymnasieelevers egen uppfattning om sin motivationsnivå kan prediceras genom de fyra ingående motivationsorienteringarna i Self-Determination Theory: (1) external regulation; (2) introjected regulation; (3) identified regulation; och (4) intrinsic motivation. Deltagarna (n = 132), 44 pojkar, 84 flickor och fyra som valde att inte specificera kön, studerar vid två gymnasieskolor i Falu kommun. Deltagarna fick via en webbsida besvara en enkät som mätte variablerna: upplevd motivationsnivå, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation och intrinsic motivation. Multipel regression användes för att testa om de ingående variablerna i Self-Determination Theory kan predicera deltagarnas upplevda motivationsnivå. Resultatet visar att 69.9% av upplevd motivationsnivå kan förklaras genom de fyra ingående motivationsorienteringarna. De ingående fyra motivationsorienteringarna fanns ordnade enligt teori, vilket innebar att faktorer som upplevs mer autonoma också indikerar på högre motivationsnivå. Studiens resultat visar att gymnasieelevers självupplevda motivationsnivå kan prediceras genom Self-Determination Theory och dess motivationsorienteringar. De deltagare som skattar sin egen motivationsnivå som hög, är också de deltagare som i högst grad drivs av identified regulation och inre motivation, liksom att de deltagare som skattar sin självupplevda motivationsnivå som lägre drivs mer av yttre motivation.

Undersökningens syfte var att undersöka gymnasielevers motivation till ämnet Idrott och Hälsa. Studien har utgått från en kvantitativ forskningsansats där enkätformulär tillämpats vid utförandet. Insamlad data kommer från 82 respondenter, valda efter en strategisk urvalsprincip. Med anledning av att antalet respondenter är begränsat ämnar studien bara att uttala sig som de respondenter som också ingår i studien. Studien har sin teoretiska grund i Self Determination Theory (SDT) som förklarar motivation utifrån det inre värdet i en aktivitet, inre motivation, eller från yttre faktorer i omgivningen, yttre motivation, eller en total avsaknad av motivation, amotivation. Detta teoribygge har kompletterats av två underteorier. Den ena, Basic Need Theory, handlar om att inre motivation är beroende av individens upplevelse av tre grundläggande psykologiska behov; kompetens, självständighet och samhörighet. Den andra, Organismic Integration Theory, handlar om att yttre motivation kan delas in i fem olika motivationsprofiler; (1) amotivation, (2) yttre reglering, (3) introjicead reglering, (4) identifierad reglering, (5) inre reglering, i ett kontinuum efter fallande nivå av reglering från yttre faktorer. Inom SDT kopplas dessa teorier samman och påvisar att en högre grad av tillfredsställda grundläggande psykologiska behov innebär en lägre grad av reglering från yttre faktorer. Sammantaget har resultatet av denna studie visats att eleverna övergripande upplever att det finns möjlighet att påverka undervisningens innehåll, utvecklas och utmanas genom undervisningen och att det finns en social miljö där de trivs. Vidare visar resultatet av studien att eleverna inte i någon större utsträckning upplever sig reglerade från yttre faktorer. Resultatet visar även på en viss tendens till ett negativt samband mellan de grundläggande psykologiska behoven och de fem motivationsprofilerna. Med detta innebär att när graden av tillfredställelse av de tre grundläggande psykologiska behoven ökar så minskar nivån av den upplevda nivån av yttre reglering. Resultatet visade även på att tendenser som tyder på att de elever som är aktiva i en idrottsförening utanför skolan har en högre tillfredställelse av de tre grundläggande psykologiska behoven än de elever som inte är föreningsaktiva.

People experience autonomy when they perceive their behaviour to be volitional and they feel controlled when their behaviour is driven by external demands or internal pressures. Gaine and La Guardia (2009) developed the Motivations for Relational Activities (MRA) scale to assess the extent to which romantic partners feel autonomous and controlled in a variety of specific relational activities. In a sample of mostly non-married individuals, Gaine and La Guardia (2009) found that the more willing and the less pressured individuals feel to engage in relational activities, the greater their relationship well-being. Study 1 examined whether autonomous and controlled activity motivations have similar implications for relationship well-being for married individuals. Results replicated the results from the non-married sample (Gaine & La Guardia, 2009). Study 2 assessed the relational activity motivation of both partners in married and common-law relationships and examined how one’s own motives relate to one’s own relationship well-being and one’s partner’s relationship well-being. Results suggested that one’s own motivations toward relational activities predict one’s own relationship well-being but not one’s partner’s well-being, with the exception of men’s relationship satisfaction, which was positively predicted by women’s autonomous activity motivation. Study 2 also employed daily diaries to examine the implications of each partner’s activity motivations for partners’ daily relational functioning and well-being. Results showed that when individuals are more willing and less pressured to engage in relational activities, they experience greater daily relationship well-being. Further, when individuals are more willing and less pressured in their relational activities, they are observed by their partner to be more engaged and responsive on a day-to-day basis. Finally, women’s willing engagement of relational activities emerged as a particularly important predictor of their own as well as men’s relational functioning and wellness.

In this study, I explored the motivations of high school instrumental music teachers to participate in competitive jazz festivals, specifically those sponsored by the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) Bay Section. I was interested in learning the specific needs participation in competitive festivals satisfied for high school music educators. Based on the tenets of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), I investigated whether the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competency, and relatedness were among the needs being satisfied. I was curious whether an individual’s background in jazz or any other factors had any bearing on their decision to participate. Through interviews teachers shared their experiences, both positive and negative, of participating in competitive jazz festivals. The following research questions guided this study: 1. What motivates high school music teachers to participate in competitive jazz festivals? 2. What specific needs are satisfied through their participation? 3. How does one’s jazz background influence motivation to participate in CMEA Bay Section events? In answering the aforementioned research questions, I chose a case study design. Interviews with twenty-nine high school instrumental music teachers were conducted at their respective work sites, except for three phone interviews and one via electronic mail. Five themes identified through data analysis about festivals specifically included feelings about competition, judging, negative feedback from adjudicators, hearing and seeing other groups, and a suggestion for the addition of a clinic for all participating groups. Six general themes about CMEA Bay Section or participants’ feelings included more progressive thinking, a perception that youth among adjudicators was inadequately represented, a notion that festivals provided opportunities for process and growth, a feeling that many were forced to weigh the costs versus the benefits of participation, an expressed feeling of isolation in the profession, and a lack of awareness on the part of administrators about their participation in CMEA Bay Section jazz festivals.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Jeffrey Skibins / Citizen science is a method of carrying out scientific research with the help of untrained citizens. Citizen science carries multiple potential benefits for scientific inquiry, but in order to be effective must facilitate mutually beneficial settings. The most prevalent use of citizen science has been in ornithology. Bird based citizen science projects have been highly successful and have facilitated mutually beneficial projects. The field of citizen science is changing with the onset of new technologies. These technologies may expand the opportunities of citizen science, but it is important that a mutual benefit is maintained. This study uses self-determination theory, a theory of human psychological needs and motivations, to address motivational factors of bird based citizen science participation to provide a framework by which to maintain the necessary mutual benefit. This study consists of responses from an online survey administered to subscribers of birding listservs across the country. Analysis of the responses found that the need for relatedness is most consistently related to participants’ motivations. The suggestion is made that future citizen science efforts focus on the community building aspects of participation. Other nuances of the data and ideas for further research are discussed.

To help protect the environment people need to change current non-environmental behaviours into more sustainable behaviours. By understanding habits for pro-environmental behaviours, people can strive toward building a more sustainable future. The goal of this thesis was to identify different types of repeated pro-environmental behaviours and how to best foster strong habits for pro-environmental behaviours. To achieve this purpose we combined the theoretical framework of habits (Bargh, 1994; Verplanken, 2006) with the theoretical framework of self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985; 2000) to address current gaps in the habit literature. The present thesis is comprised of two articles. The first article determined if the proposed indicators of habits (i.e., behaviour frequency, habit strength, and behaviour interference) could identify different patterns of repeated pro-environmental behaviours predicted by habit and self-determination theory using cluster analysis. The three studies provided support for the three proposed types of repeated behaviours: weak habits, repeated behaviours with interference, and strong habits. These results were very robust since the same pattern was found across three studies, three samples, and three different target behaviours. The second article used the groups (i.e., weak habit, repeated behaviour with interference, and strong habit) in exploratory multinomial logistic regression analyses to identify factors related to pro-environmental behaviours which distinguished between the different types of repeated behaviours. Once again, the same three types of repeated behaviours were found across these three studies, with three new samples and two different target behaviours. Three predictors fairly consistently identified differences between the groups: autonomous motivation toward the environment, perceived importance of the environment, and the frequency of other pro-environmental behaviours. The implications of the thesis findings are discussed in relation to self-determination theory and the study of habits.

Piano teachers believe that dropping out before reaching a moderate mastery of the piano is a common problem among students. This study uses Self-Determination Theory to examine three issues related to the high dropout rate from private piano lessons: whether there are predictors associated with dropout, whether low levels of motivation correlate with dropping out, and the primary reasons invoked for stopping lessons. Using the Survey of Musical Interests, 55 former piano students who quit lessons completed a questionnaire with Likert-scale, multiple choice, and open-ended questions, and their parents also filled out a complementary questionnaire. These participants were compared to 153 students and parents who were still involved with piano lessons. Results showed important predictor differences in parental backgrounds, musical ability, and practice habits, and significant differences between the groups’ autonomous motivation. The main reasons invoked for stopping lessons included lack of practice, preferring other instruments, and loss of interest.

Despite good intentions, people often encounter challenges and obstacles in pursuit of their goals. The types of difficulties people experience each day have been well-documented (e.g., desires and temptations, resource depletion, social influences). However, despite these difficulties, some people are still able to attain their goals. Research on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) suggests that relative autonomous motivation (RAM) may explain inter-individual (and intra-individual) differences in effort and persistence when self-regulation is difficult (e.g., Ntoumanis et al., 2014). In two manuscripts, a series of daily diary designs are used to examine the role of motivation when self-regulation is difficult. The first focuses on the role of RAM during goal striving in a healthy eating across each day (Study 1) and during lunches (Study 2). These studies provide some evidence that students with higher (vs. lower) RAM are more likely to attain more difficult healthy eating goals, which may be due to perceiving fewer obstacles in pursuit of these goals, or through the use of more effective (i.e., approach-based) strategies. Then, the second manuscript involves undergraduate students enrolled in online (Study 1) and in-person classes (Study 2) during the Covid-19 pandemic, and focuses on how their situational motivation to do schoolwork may be impacted when they experience motivational interference. Mixed findings emerged regarding the impact of motivational interference on students’ situational motivation but further evidence highlighted the protective effects of RAM when interference occurred. Taken together, these manuscripts contribute to a growing body of research on the study of self-regulation in daily life and on the role of RAM when difficulties arise. / Graduate / 2022-12-14

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Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka effekter möteskulturen i traditionell projektmiljö har på motivation hos mötesdeltagarna. Möteskultur i traditionella projekt kan vara ostrukturerad eftersom det är upp till varje enskild projektledare att sätta upp riktlinjer för hur möten ska genomföras. Den empiriska undersökningen i form av kvalitativa intervjuer utfördes på Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut, FOI, och deltagarnas upplevda motivation analyserades utifrån Self Determination Theory. Intervjuresultat visade på en demotiverande upplevelse i flera situationer, både kring möteskulturen och i hur mötesinnehållet hanteras. Författarna fann att motivationen påverkades av agenda och syftet med mötet, närvaro, mötestider, mötesformen samt feedback. Resultatet visade att den undersökta möteskulturen var ostrukturerad vilket ledde till en uppkomst av en submöteskultur med fler mindre informella möten som i sin tur leder till en upplevelse av att arbetsflödet bryts och de intervjuade kände sig mer stressade och mindre produktiva. Eftersom agil projektledningsmetodik brukar framhållas motiverande ur flera aspekter för författarna en diskussion om hur införandet av agila möten kan vara främjande för motivationen i traditionella projektmiljöer. / The purpose of this study was to examine the effects the meeting culture in traditional projects has on the participants’ motivation. The meeting culture in traditional projects can differ in effectiveness since it is dependant on the project manager to arrange, hold and follow up the meeting. The empiric study was conducted in the form of qualitative interviews at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, and the motivation experienced by participants' was analysed by Self Determination Theory. The results from the interviews showed a demotivating experience in several situations, both regarding the meeting culture and how the meeting content was handled. The authors found that the motivation was affected by the agenda and purpose of the meeting, the attendence, time and form of the meeting and feedback. The results revealed that the examined meeting culture was unstructured which led to an emerging sub-meeting culture of an increasing number of smaller informal meetings. This in turn led to an experience of the work flow being disturbed and the interviewees feeling more stressed and less productive. Since agile project methodology is often regarded as motivating from several aspects, the authors conducted a discussion on how the implementation of agile meetings can be conducive to motivation in traditional project environments.