A patient's response to receiving a diagnosis of a chronic progressive disease is critical, as is the approach to the intervention that the patient receives. Parkinson's disease (PD) exemplifies chronic disease with the additional complication of being progressively degenerative and therefore increasingly debilitating. Many of the patients with PD suffer from a decrease in motivation. While physical therapy and individual independent exercise may benefit these patients with PD, the lack of motivation to exercise often presents a significant barrier to this beneficial behavior. Self-determination Theory (SDT) has been used successfully in other health paradigms to improve motivation. Motivation is achieved by satisfying the three psychological needs of competence, autonomy and relatedness of the individual. Physical therapy intervention may facilitate motivation through the development of relatedness to the health care professional (HCP). The purpose of this study was to determine if SDT may be effectively applied to increase motivation in patients with PD, determine the factors that facilitate the motivation, and quantify the effect on the patient's quality of life. This study utilized a within subject design consisting of 8 weekly sessions. At screening, demographics and baseline assessments for cognitive impairment (SLUMS), severity of PD ( Hoehn and Yahr), quality of life (PDQ-8 a questionnaire validated for the PD patient), and evaluation of physical impairments (Tinetti gait and balance test and Timed Up and Go Test[TUG]) were collected. Each weekly session included motivational interviewing designed to implement SDT strategies promoting satisfaction of the three psychological needs. Additionally, at each weekly physical therapy session, additional physical assessments were completed as well as the SRQ-E, a Likert scale SDT questionnaire designed to determine the motivation to exercise (extrinsic regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation and intrinsic motivation.). Ten patients were consented and enrolled in this study at a physician-owned clinic in the Philadelphia suburbs. All patients completed the 8-week study, with 6 of the patients opting to continue in physical therapy after the study. At baseline, patients exhibited mild to moderate impairment in physical activity as assessed by the Hoehn and Yahr average score of 2.9 (range 1-4). The average age of the patient was 68.4 (range 50-84) years with an average SLUMS score of 26.3 (range 20-30), indicating mild cognitive impairment. The data from the SRQ-E did not demonstrate significance for change in motivation. Both the Tinetti gait and balance test and the TUG average scores improved, with a change of 4.9, 1.8, and 7.1, respectively. The PDQ-8 average change improved 0.118, indicating improvement in the quality of life. Results from both the Tinetti and PDQ-8 demonstrated improvements that were statistically significant (p=.0007 and p=.008 respectively). Qualitative analysis of the motivational interviews showed the most common themes as a decrease in pain, increase in strength and function as well as independently initiating a novel exercise. Correlative analysis was inconclusive. While motivational interviewing is qualitative, a positive effect was indirectly assessed by the patient's self-reports of increased exercise and the development of relatedness to the HCP as evidenced by the patient's 100% completion rate of the study and 60% continuation on physical therapy. Further study is warranted to determine the factors that facilitated this improvement and evaluate the benefit of motivation in these patients with Parkinson's disease. / Educational Psychology

Though under-analyzed, third-party employee competency certifications are increasing in number; many feel that accumulation of certifications is essential for career success. I argue that in their current form, certifications are double-edged: their purpose is to reduce transaction costs, enhance performance, and foster development; but they can also be used as 'credentials' to gain prestige, rewards or influence. I suggest that excessive use for this latter purpose can undermine their contribution to performance. In this study of HR practitioners that draws on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), I test the relationship between certification-seeking motivation and obtaining certification, perceived job competence, and affective occupational commitment. Hierarchical regression results show an association between autonomous motivation and both obtaining certification and commitment; however, professional association membership may also play a role in fostering such motivation. I end with suggestions for future research. / Business Administration

The current study investigated the motivation of college students with disabilities to disclose their disability(s) to the university and to utilize disability support services. Eleven college students with a diversity of invisible disabilities from a large university were interviewed using a narrative approach. Analysis involved a combination of inductive and deductive procedures informed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) (Ryan & Deci, 2002; Deci & Ryan, 2000). The analysis identified six themes in the narratives within which students' experiences were analyzed as more or less supportive of their psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness: (1) Disability Construction; (2) High School Experience; (3) Significant Adults; (4) Disability Resources and Services (DRS) and other Services; (5) Interactions with Faculty; and (6) Interactions with Peers. An important conclusion of the analysis was that students' motivation and decision to disclose their disability and to utilize support services was framed by the level of acceptance of their disability--or, in self-determination theory terms, their integration of their disability to their authentic self. Students' narratives that suggested integration of the disability to the self also included indication of the students being more proactive, agentic, flexible, adaptive, and open in disclosing their disability to the university, to faculty and to peers, and in utilizing support services. In contrast, students' narratives that suggested partial or non-integration of the disability, and ambivalence towards being labeled with a disability, also included indication for hesitance, rigidity, and less adaptive patterns of disclosure and utilization of services. Different levels of integration of the disability in students' narratives were concordant with indication in the narratives of different levels of support for the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness--particularly by significant adults at home and in high-school. These general psychological-motivational patterns manifested in the narratives as individual profiles that integrated the six themes into the unique narrative of each participant. The study ends with consideration of the implications of the findings to future research and possible ways by which university disability support services may promote effective utilization of services by students with disabilities. / Educational Psychology

The notion of learner autonomy is one of the major theoretical constructs studied in L2 learning. Drawing on Deci and Ryan's (1985) Self-Determination Theory (SDT), I sought to investigate and describe L2 learner autonomy and how an educational intervention influences it. The SDT conceptualizing human motivation for learning as existing on a continuum from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation provides ways of measuring learner autonomy and a rationale for educational interventions for developing it. First, Japanese adult EFL learners' characteristics were described in terms of learner autonomy-related psychological constructs (motivation, affect, and strategy use) according to levels of learner autonomy based on SDT. Second, the adapted VSS yielded significant effects on the participants' vocabulary learning and L2 learning anxiety (for the high and low autonomous motivation groups) and social strategy use (for the low autonomous motivation group). Third, the implementation of the adapted VSS into the adult L2 English classes was considered in terms of the development of linguistic and autonomous forms of learning quoting from the participants' quantitative and qualitative responses for this approach. / CITE/Language Arts

The relationship between video games and learning is a topic of interest for academic fields. But how can a voluntary activity, like playing video games, motivate students to be academically productive? This dissertation used the popular video game, Minecraft, to measure the intrinsic motivation of 7th and 8th grade students in mathematics class, using a Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework. The results demonstrated that intrinsic motivation remained at high levels, as long as students are competent in game controls and were relatively free to do what they wanted within the general guidelines in the video game environment. Second, the role of social presence contributed to immersion in the video game environment and played a role in the continued motivation to play. Third, although there was no impact on rote measures of learning, such as memorizing vocabulary definitions, the Minecraft video game environment affected students’ ability to problem solve, as was evidenced by pre- and post-tests of rote and conceptual learning. / Media & Communication

This study examines the experiences of teachers being motivated to do more for their students. While the lives and practices of teachers have received significant scholarly attention, to this point the extant literature on teacher motivation and expanded roles is limited. In response to that gap, this study uses a phenomenological design with semi-structure interviews and observations of classrooms to examine the motivations that inspire teachers to go beyond their prescribed roles in service of their students. Additional lines of inquiry examined how these motivations to embody expanded roles for students evolve from pre-service to actual classroom experience. The study also investigated teacher-reported possibilities and limitations of doing more in service of students. Self Determination Theory of Motivation was used as the theoretical framework to guide the methodological design of the study. Results from the study illuminate a symbiotic relationship in which teachers engage in role expansion in order to both meet the needs of their students as well as to have their basic psychological needs of competence, relatedness, and autonomy satisfied. Implications for further research highlight the need to understand how to support and sustain these practices as a mechanism to combat burnout and teacher attrition. / Urban Education

Over the last 40 years, the field of sport psychology has generated a growing body of literature on the coach-athlete relationship, driven by the recognition that the quality of this dyad can play an important role in an athlete's experiences in sport. Despite strong evidence suggesting that Self-Determination Theory (SDT) accurately reflects processes within this relationship, which promote or undermine intrinsic motivation, there is room to deepen contemporary understandings of coach-athlete dyads by assessing the role of athlete individual differences within this theory. Sixty-seven male athletes (ages 12-18) and 3 male coaches participated in the current study, which set out to cultivate a more nuanced understanding of coach-athlete relationships in a high-level youth athletic academy. Questionnaires measuring preferences for, and perceptions of, coaching behavior, psychological coping skills, psychological needs satisfaction, motivation, and burnout were administered at the beginning and end of the fall season. Results gleaned from correlations, multiple regressions and mediational analyses variably supported the study's main hypotheses. Processes consistent with SDT were evident, as a dimension of perceived coaching behavior predicted needs satisfaction, which in turn, predicted levels of motivation and burnout. Finally, and most importantly, results showed that athletes' psychological coping skills predicted their perceptions of coaching behavior, and outcomes related to needs satisfaction, motivation, and burnout. The current paper also discusses implications of these findings for research and applied practice in sport psychology, and provides recommendations for future avenues of study. / Kinesiology

Women make up only 7% of the incarcerated population (Guerino, Harrison, & Sabol, 2012). However, this number is rising exponentially. The female prison population has increased eight-fold since 1980 (Carson & Gionelli, 2013). Up to 70% of women who are incarcerated will recidivate (Mallik-Kane & Vischer, 2008). A major contributor to this rapid increase and high rate of recidivism is that women's physical and mental health needs are not met while they are incarcerated. Creating gender sensitive programming that addresses women's physical and mental health needs while they are incarcerated and that can influence their lives after they leave could help decrease recidivism and increase the quality of life of thousands (Bloom, Owen, & Covington, 2003). While structured exercise programs are being offered with more frequency in women's prisons to help address these mental and physical health problems, attendance has been low and program staff struggle to retain participants. This research examined women's motivation to exercise, what they felt were benefits of engaging in physical activity, and what they perceived the barriers to physical activity are while incarcerated. The study was conducted in conjunction with an indoor cycling class being offered at the Philadelphia County Women's prison. Twenty-four women enrolled in the study and completed pre-program interviews and pencil and paper measures. Twelve women completed a follow up test; six graduated from the cycling program; six dropped out. Results show that women who build connections (relatedness) with instructors and peers are more likely to adhere to a structured exercise program, and that the basic psychological needs laid out by Self-Determination Theory are related to adherence. Additionally, women can internalize a range of reasons for and benefits of exercise that can help them overcome a range of institutional, individual, and environment barriers evident in a correctional setting. / Kinesiology

Bakgrund: Vid medelåldern drabbas många individer av muskuloskeletala sjukdomar som kan förebyggas och rehabiliteras genom styrketräning. Studier har gjorts på vad som motiverar människor till fysisk aktivitet men är bristfällig gällande motivation till styrketräning. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilka faktorer som motiverar styrketränande personer i medelåldern till att styrketräna, samt att redogöra för hur kön, grupp- och individuell träning, träningsvolym och hur länge en person styrketränat påverkar motivationsfaktorerna. Metod: Femtiofem personer mellan 40-60 år besvarade ett digitalt frågeformulär om vad som motiverar dem till att styrketräna. En del av enkäten innehöll bakgrundsfrågor om deltagarna. Den andra delen innefattade en modifierad version av formuläret RM 4-FM. Resultat: Deltagarna drevs främst av inre motivation och identified regulation. Det fanns en signifikant skillnad i typ av motivation mellan könen, där kvinnorna skattade högre på frågor gällande identified regulation (p=.028). Det fanns ingen signifikant skillnad mellan personer som tränade individuellt eller i grupp (external regulation: p=.500, introjected regulation: p= .517, identified regulation: p=.391, intrinsic regulation: p=.918) och inget samband mellan antal tränade timmar per vecka (p=.109) eller hur länge en person har styrketränat (p=.663) med relative autonomy index (RAI. Konklusion: Resultaten ger insikt i att personer i medelåldern drivs mer av inre motivation till styrketräning och att kvinnor tenderar att motiveras mer av inre drivkrafter, men kan inte generaliseras till hela populationen. Fortsatt forskning krävs för att undersöka relationen mellan motivation och styrketräning hos personer i medelåldern. / Background: During the middle-age, it is common to obtain a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, however, strength training reduces the risk to obtain these complications. There are many studies with the goal to research motivational factors that contribute to physical activity, however, there are few studies that have similar objectives related to strength training.  Objective: The objective of this study was to better understand what motivates middle aged individuals to strength train.  Method: In this study, 55 participants between 40 to 60 years old, completed a questionnaire about motivational factors to strength training. The first part consisted of background questions and the second part, a modified version of the RM 4-FM questionnaire.  Results: The results from the questionnaire showed that a majority of the sample were driven by intrinsic motivation and more specifically identified regulation. Group comparisons showed that women on average scored higher on the questions related to identified regulation (p=.028). There were no significant differences between individuals who train individually or in group (external regulation: p=.500, introjected regulation: p= .517, identified regulation: p=.391, intrinsic regulation: p=.918) nor seen in correlation between training volume (p=.109) and training experience (p=.663) with RAI. Conclusion: The results of this study show that individuals who strength train are predominantly incentivised by intrinsic motivation and women tend to have a stronger intrinsic motivation than men, however further research is required to continue to explore the complex relationship between motivation and strength training habits.

Sjukvården har utvecklats till att bli en arbetsplats som upplevs alltmer stressig för de anställda. Vården har sedan 80-talet utformats utifrån New Public Management och trots regeringens budgettillskott på sex miljarder kronor förväntas många behövas sägas upp. Dessutom upplevs en högre arbetsbelastning, vilket har bidragit till ökad stress och lägre motivationsgrad inom sjuksköterskeyrket. Tidigare forskning har visat att det finns en korrelation mellan belöningssystem och motivation. Belöningssystem är problematiskt inom den offentliga sektorn då den inte kan tillämpa monetära belöningssystem likt den privata sektorn för att styra och motivera de anställda. Syftet med denna studie är därför att förklara och förstå hur icke-monetära belöningar kan påverka arbetsmotivationen bland sjuksköterskor inom offentlig sjukvård. Detta genom att utgå från tidigare forskning om Self-Determination Theory och förväntansteorin. För att besvara syftet med studien genomfördes en kvalitativ studie som tillämpade semistrukturerade intervjuer som datainsamlingsmetod. Urvalet bestod av tio respondenter med en yrkestitel som sjuksköterska och yrkeserfarenhet om minst ett år. Respondenterna har kunnat bidra med kunskap och erfarenheter som givit information för att kunna koppla redan erkända teorier med verksamheten inom sjukvården. I resultatet kunde därefter olika teman kodas fram i intervjuerna vilket har varit påverkan av stress, typ av belöning, belöningarnas påverkan på arbetsmotivationen, förväntan och ansträngning samt relation till chef.  Slutligen har resultatet analyserats mot det teoretiska ramverket och med detta besvarat studiens syfte och frågeställningar. Kunskap om arbetsmotivation och belöningssystem har därpå varit en central del i att sammanväva utvalda teman med respektive belöning som påverkar arbetsmotivationen. Resultatet indikerade att sjuksköterskors arbetsplatser inte har tillräckliga belöningssystem för att minska stress och öka arbetsmotivationen. Det framgår att positiv återkoppling, utvecklingsmöjligheter och ansvar var de typer av belöningar som hade högst preferenser, men att andra typer även var av betydelse. Vidare visade studiens resultat att icke-monetära belöningar påverkade arbetsmotivationen i positiv bemärkelse av samtliga respondenter. Resultatet kan därav vara till nytta för att skapa diskussioner om hållbara belöningssystem och ge verktyg som chefer kan implementera i verksamheten. / Healthcare has evolved into an increasingly stressful workplace for employees. Since the 1980s, healthcare has been shaped by New Public Management, and despite the government's budget increase of six billion SEK, many are expected to be laid off. Furthermore, there is a perceived higher workload, contributing to increased stress and lower motivation among nurses. Previous research has shown a correlation between reward systems and motivation. Reward systems are problematic in the public sector as it cannot apply monetary reward systems like the private sector to manage and motivate employees. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explain and understand how non-monetary rewards can affect work motivation among nurses in public healthcare, based on previous research on Self-Determination Theory and expectancy theory. To address the study's purpose, a qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. The sample consisted of ten respondents with a nursing background at least one year of professional experience. The respondents have been able to contribute knowledge and experiences that provided information to link recognized theories with healthcare operations. The results of the interviews yielded several themes, encompassing the effects of stress, reward types, the correlation between rewards and work motivation, expectations, effort, and the supervisor-employee relationship. Finally, the results were analyzed against the theoretical framework, thereby addressing the study's purpose and research questions. Knowledge of work motivation and reward systems has been a central part of integrating selected themes with respective rewards that influence work motivation. The results indicated that nurses' workplaces do not have sufficient reward systems to reduce stress and increase work motivation. Positive feedback, development opportunities, and responsibility were the types of rewards with the highest preferences, but other types were also significant. Furthermore, the study's results showed that non-monetary rewards positively influenced work motivation for all respondents. Therefore, the results can be useful for creating discussions about sustainable reward systems and providing tools that managers can implement in their operations.