Coaches play a central role in shaping the sport environment for young athletes. This thesis is focused on the leadership process in sports and how coaches’ autonomy-supportive and controlling interpersonal styles longitudinally are related to young athletes’ motivation and ill- and well-being. The aim is also to examine psychometric multidimensionality in measures of coaches’ need-supportive and controlling interpersonal styles. Questionnaire data from young athletes were used in the empirical studies. In Study 1, we examined an adaptive motivational process (i.e., longitudinal associations between autonomy support, need satisfaction, self-determined motivation, and well-being). The results showed that within-person changes in perceived autonomy support, need satisfaction, self-determined motivation, and well-being were all positively correlated. Higher self-determined motivation and well-being early in the season longitudinally predicted higher levels of perceived autonomy support from the coach. Higher self-determined motivation was also a positive predictor of within-person changes in perceived autonomy support and well-being over the season. In Study 2, we examined a maladaptive motivational process (i.e., longitudinal associations between coaches’ controlling behaviors, controlled motivation, and ill-being). The findings demonstrated that athletes who perceived their coach as more controlling reported higher controlled motivation at the end of the season and that higher controlled motivation early in the season predicted higher ill-being at the end of the season. Controlled motivation was also a positive predictor of athletes’ perceptions of coaches’ controlling behaviors at the within-person level. Study 1 and 2 suggest that individual factors (e.g., motivation and well-being) seemed to function as important determinants of how athletes perceived their coach and future research should explore the underlying mechanisms through which these processes occur. In Study 3, we examined psychometric multidimensionality in measures of athletes’ perceptions of coaches’ need-supportive (Interpersonal Supportiveness Scale-Coach [ISS-C]) and controlling (Controlling Coach Behaviors Scale [CCBS]) interpersonal styles. The analyses indicated that the ISS-C is not multidimensional; it appears to comprise a single factor. Three of the four subscales of the CCBS appear to share a common core, whereas the fourth subscale (i.e., controlling use of rewards) seems to represent a slightly different aspect of a controlling interpersonal style. These results bring into question the multidimensionality in measures of athletes’ perceptions of coaches’ interpersonal styles. Neither measure displayed a coherent multidimensional pattern, indicating a need for better alignment between theory and measurement.

Working with students in Physical Education has been through a change because of, according to research, indications that young people aren´t involved in physical activities as much as in the past. This means that the educational planning should adapt to the teaching to fit as many pupils as possible free of the cognitive and physical conditions. The purpose of this study is to examine how an SDT (Self-Determination Theory)-based intervention affect students ' motivation in gymnastics. The study aims to see how an experimental intervention affects a class in comparison with another more controlled gymnastics-lesson. In order to reach the result the study has used questionnaires before and after the intervention. The result of this shows little difference in motivation changes between the groups, but the study is sharing light upon other perspectives on how to consider the objectives and issues. These differences are discussed and conclude that the study opens up new discussions and potentially new ideas by implementing of SDT pedagogically and didactically as well as suggestions for further research that can provide further proof of the SDT as a motivational approach within other areas in Physical Education.

As families immigrate to a new country, adolescents often acculturate and learn the host-language more quickly than do their parents. As a result, many adolescents engage in language brokering (i.e., providing translation, interpretation, and communication mediation assistance) for their immigrant parents. This study aimed to disentangle the nature of multiple dimensions of language brokering within a community sample of 152 Chinese immigrant families residing in Western Canada. Specifically, I examined language brokering frequency as well as positive and negative feelings about language brokering as distinct constructs to better understand how they relate to one another and with adjustment. Applying self-determination theory, I also considered the role of autonomy-supportive contexts in moderating links between the various language brokering constructs and adjustment, with the expectation that language brokering would present less risk to adjustment in contexts high in autonomy support. A higher frequency of language brokering for both mothers and fathers predicted more intense feelings. Further, language brokering feelings were more predictive of adjustment than frequency. There was little evidence that brokering feelings moderated relations between language brokering frequency and adjustment. However, there was evidence that the absence of autonomy-supportive contexts was a risk for poorer adjustment, and that environments rich in autonomy support have the potential to mitigate risks associated with language brokering. The results are discussed with respect to unique adolescent experiences language brokering for mothers versus fathers, which further highlight the complex relations between language brokering and adjustment. / Graduate

This thesis comprises two papers. Paper One: Previous research in relation to young people who are at risk of school exclusion can be criticised for the lack of studies that truly elicit and foreground the voices of these young people within a school context. While retrospective studies have explored their views post exclusion, few have examined their perceptions within a mainstream context prior to exclusion. This can be explained in terms of the inherent difficulties of engaging disaffected young people with research, often attributed to a combination of poor language skills and negative perceptions of adults, and schools’ reluctance to foreground these voices. This paper reports how a participatory research method, which took into account the individual needs of disaffected young people, overcame these difficulties and succeeded in eliciting the voices of ten young people at risk of school exclusion within their mainstream context. Rich, meaningful and contextualised data were generated about disaffected young people’s perceptions of their mainstream school experiences. The data were thematically analysed and then interpreted using self determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000). This revealed that from young people’s perspectives the need for a sense of relatedness was more relevant than the need for a sense of autonomy. The need to feel competent only became relevant in certain subject contexts. Findings showed a more holistic and nuanced perspective of disaffection. The young people perceived their engagement to be context driven and, importantly, were able to view themselves as positively engaged with some aspects of school. This highlights the need for further research into disaffected young people’s voices regarding what they perceive to be positive engagement as this may differ from practitioners’ perceptions. Implications for practice are that Educational Psychologists (EPs) are well placed to foreground the voice of disaffected young people with practitioners. In so doing they help them make better sense of disaffected young people’s school experiences and enhance practitioners’ ability to support these young people. Paper Two: Interventions in relation to young people at risk of exclusion tend to be drawn from education practitioner views which focus on a particular perspective of disaffection such as within child or curricular factors. Consequently interventions are ‘done to’ rather than ‘with’ young people and lack an integrated, holistic approach. In this small case study the researcher facilitated an intervention with seven Learning Mentors (LMs) set within two different school contexts. The aim of the intervention was to engage LMs with the voice of disaffected young people. The LMs met in two groups over two months during which vignettes of disaffected young people’s voices were used as stimuli for prioritising, implementing and evaluating changes to current LM practice. LMs’ personal constructs of disaffected young people were elicited pre and post intervention. The findings reveal that when LMs are facilitated to engage with the voice of disaffected young people it can have a positive impact on their perceptions of those young people. The effectiveness of the impact was dependent on the context of the school, level of training received and the extent to which LMs engaged with the facilitative process. As this is one of few studies which have implemented an intervention to engage schools with the voice of disaffected young people, further research exploring whether the intervention could be replicated in other school contexts would be of value. This study adds to the body of knowledge on school disaffection in young people and indicates that EPs are well placed to manage facilitative processes aimed at engaging schools with the voices of disaffected young people. In doing so they support practitioners to broaden their understanding of these young people and, importantly, enable them to act on their voices.

Vad är det som gör att vissa väljer att sluta med en idrott? Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka vad som påverkar valet att sluta med ridsport i Sverige och om dessa faktorer skiljer sig något beroende på utövandenivå. Jag har också kollat vid vilken ålder det är vanligast med drop out inom ridningen och hur många som valt att återuppta idrotten igen. Uppsatsen är av kvantitativ karaktär och datainsamling gjort med hjälp av en enkätundersökning, där n=47 respondenter deltagit i undersökningen med olika åldrar och bakgrunder. Enkäten innehöll bakgrundsfrågor och ett frågeformulär som belyser åtta olika faktorer som kan ha betydelse för valet att sluta (Questionnaire of Reasonsfor Attrition, (Gould et.al.1982)). Dataanalysen utfördes med statistikprogrammet SPSS och uträkningar är gjorda utifrån medelvärden, typvärde, variation och t-test. Resultatet visade att de vanligaste orsakerna för drop out inom ridport är för höga kostnader, att det tar för mycket tid och att man hittar andra intressen som är roligare för gruppen som helhet. De som hade en bakgrund som tävlingsaktiv kände dock att de största anledningarna var brist på utveckling och framgång samt att det blev för stressigt/ansträngande att hålla på med. De som inte tävlade tyckte att bristande intresse och mindre socialt stöd var de främsta orsakerna. / What makes some choose to drop out of a sport? The purpose of this paper is to investigate what influences the choice to end participation in equestrian sports in Sweden and if these factors differ depending on the level of practice. I have also checked at what age it's most common with drop out in the equestrian sports and how many people have chosen to resume it again after a break. The essay is quantitative and data collection was done by a survey, where n = 47 respondents participated in different ages and backgrounds. The survey contained background questions and a questionnaire (Questionnaire of Reasons for Attrition, Gould et.al(1982) ) highlighting eight different factors that may affect the choice to end. Data analysis performed the SPSS statistics program and calculations were based on mean values, mode, variation and t-test. The result showed that the most common causes of drop out in equestrian are too high costs, it takes too much time and other interests are more fun for the group as a whole. Those who had a background as competitive activists knew, however, that the biggest reasons were lack of development and success, and that it was too stressful / strenuous to keep up with. Those who did not compete thought that lack of interest and less social support were the main reasons.

Den tekniska utvecklingen har bidragit till att den digitala sektorn har blivit näringslivets största tillväxtområde. Statistiska undersökningar visar att den svenska arbetsmarknaden år 2022 kommer sakna 70 000 individer som besitter rätt IT-kompetens. Inom en snar framtid kommer de tidigare generationerna lämna arbetsmarknaden och Millennials kommer utgöra en allt större del. Motivation är ett viktigt begrepp inom företagsvärlden då det är en förutsättning för att individer ska vilja utföra en arbetsuppgift. Ett sätt för företag att skapa och upprätthålla motivation hos sina medarbetare är välanpassade belöningssystem. Syftet med denna uppsats utgörs av två delar. Den första delen syftar till att få en djupare förståelse för hur Millennials i den digitala sektorn upplever att de motiveras av olika motivationsfaktorer. Den andra delen syftar till att med hjälp av resultat och analys av syftets första del ge vägledning i vad svenska företag i den digitala sektorn bör ta hänsyn till vid utformning av belöningssystem för att motivera och behålla Millennials på arbetsplatsen. För att besvara syftet har semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med Millennials från ett svenskt IT-företag. Resultatet visar att de betydande motivationsfaktorerna för Millennials i den digitala sektorn är: ansvar, balans mellan arbete och fritid, flexibilitet, personlig utveckling, gemenskap och kultur, meningsfulla arbetsuppgifter, samt snabb och kontinuerlig feedback. Samtidigt visar studien att lön inte upplevs vara en motivationsfaktor, trots detta betraktas hög lön som en självklarhet i ITbranschen. Belöningssystem bör därmed utformas med hänsyn till både finansiella och ickefinansiella belöningar med fokus på dessa motivationsfaktorer.

Why is motivation important? The answer is simple to most of us: it is what makes people push forward and act. Intrinsic motivation is the kind of motivation that arises from within a person, making her or him strive towards a goal for no other reward than the feeling it will bring. Additionally, this kind of motivation has shown correlations with enhanced learning, creativity, performance, optimal development, and well-being. While intrinsic motivation has long been a topic within the field of psychology, the neural correlates underlying it have only recently become of interest for researchers, and studies have shown some interesting but also contradictory findings. Therefore, the aim of this literature review thesis is to investigate the neural correlates of intrinsic motivation further. Firstly, a background review of motivation in general and intrinsic motivation in particular is presented, focusing on concepts such as the self-determination theory, flow, and cognitive evaluation theory. This is followed by a chapter on motivation- and intrinsic motivation from a neuroscientific perspective, concerning concepts such as the reward system, the undermining effect, and studies examining the neural correlates of intrinsic motivation. These studies show that there was activity in several different areas when participants were intrinsically motivated. However, a frequent pattern of activity in dopaminergic pathways involving the striatum and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was detected in most studies, indicating the involvement of these areas in particular when a person is intrinsically motivated.

Arbetsengagemang har beskrivits som ett positivt arbetsrelaterat tillstånd. Med förståelse för medarbetarnas arbetsmotivation kan arbetsengagemanget öka och riskerna med negativ stress undvikas. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilka motivationstyper som till störst del förklarade dimensionerna i arbetsengagemang hos tjänstemän. Genom en kvantitativ studie har tre regressionsanalyser genomförts. Som mätinstrument utformades en digital enkät baserad på Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS) och Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Enkäten skickades via mail till 199 tjänstemän vid en avdelning hos ett företag i industrisektorn. Datainsamlingen genererade 124 enkätsvar som analyserades. Resultaten visade att inre motivation och omotivation var de starkaste prediktorerna för samtliga dimensioner i arbetsengagemang. Integrerad- och identifierad reglering hade signifikant betydelse för dimensionen uppslukande medan integrerad reglering också var signifikant för hängivenhet. Anställda som tilldelas eget ansvar och självbestämmande har högre känsla av inre motivation och känner högre arbetsengagemang än individer som inte får fatta egna beslut. / Work engagement has been described as a positive work related state of mind. With understanding for work motivation work engagement may increase among coworkers and risks of negative stress can be avoided. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine which motivation types that most explain the dimensions in work engagement. A digital questionnaire was designed based on Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). The questionnaire was sent by e-mail to 199 white collar workers at a company in the industrial sector. The collected data included 124 answers and was analysed by three regression analysis. Our findings showed that intrinsic motivation and amotivation was the strongest predictors for all dimensions in work engagement. Integrated- and identified regulation showed significant importance for the dimension absorption while integrated regulation also showed significant importance for the dimension dedication. Employees who are self-determined and given own responsibility have both higher feeling of intrinsic motivation and work engagement than individuals who does not get the opportunity to make own decisions.

Em uma sociedade que apresenta ênfase no conhecimento, torna-se importante analisar uma quantidade significativa de informações contidas nos bancos de dados, objetivando transformá-las em conhecimentos utilizáveis, tanto para fins comerciais, quanto científicos. A Administração surge como uma área em que uma grande multiplicidade de aplicações estatísticas é possível, indo ao encontro das próprias competências e habilidades focadas no processo decisório do administrador. Neste sentido, a Estatística torna-se importante ferramenta na área financeira, de marketing, de produção e de recursos humanos. Porém, uma questão de grande relevância reside na formação Estatística dos profissionais da Administração, considerando as problemáticas envolvidas com o ensino de tal conteúdo nos cursos de graduação. Observando, portanto, a problemática envolvida no ensino de Estatística para o curso de graduação em Administração e levando em consideração a existência de alternativas para mensuração da atitude perante a Estatística, bem como da motivação acadêmica, surgiu como possibilidade de pesquisa a investigação do modo como se dá a interação da atitude perante a Estatística e da motivação acadêmica com o desempenho acadêmico do aluno nas disciplinas de Estatística. Para a consecução do objetivo do presente trabalho, foi realizado um estudo quantitativo, por meio da aplicação da Escala de Atitude dos alunos frente a Estatística - Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS) - e da Escala de Motivação Acadêmica - Échelle de Motivation en Éducation (EMA) -, com 278 alunos de duas faculdades públicas de Administração. Na criação dos modelos de relacionamento entre motivação acadêmica e atitude perante a Estatística (variáveis independentes) e desempenho (variável dependente), verificou-se que, em relação à nota da disciplina, o melhor modelo apresentou um baixo valor de explicação (R2 ajustado = 7,3%), surgindo como variáveis preditoras significantes apenas o Afeto, a Motivação Extrínseca - introjeção, a Motivação Extrínseca - controle externo e a Motivação Intrínseca - vivenciar estímulos. Entretanto, o modelo que apresentou a autopercepção de desempenho como variável dependente apresentou um considerável valor de explicação (R2 ajustado = 45,5%), surgindo como variáveis preditoras significantes apenas o Afeto, a Competência cognitiva e a Motivação Extrínseca - introjeção. Por meio da análise de cluster, verificou-se que um dos três grupos formados apresentou valores superiores e menos dispersos, tanto no que concerne à nota, quanto em relação à autopercepção de desempenho. Neste sentido, dada a análise dos resultados, foi possível concluir que, de modo geral, o grupo de alunos com maior interesse na área de Finanças apresentou as maiores pontuações tanto em relação à atitude perante a Estatística como em relação à motivação acadêmica. / In a society that has an emphasis on knowledge it becomes important to analyze a significant amount of information in databases in order to transform them into usable knowledge both for commercial purposes, as scientific. The Administration appears as an area where a large variety of statistical applications is possible, to suit their own skills and abilities in decision making focused administrator. In this sense, the statistic becomes important tool in finance, marketing, production and human resources. However, that issue becomes of great importance is the training of professionals Statistics Administration, considering the issues involved with teaching such content in undergraduate courses. Noting therefore the problems involved in teaching statistics to undergraduate degree in Business Administration and taking into account the existence of alternatives to measure attitude toward statistics and the academic motivation, emerged as potential research investigating the so how is the interaction of attitude Statistics and academic motivation with the academic performance of students in the disciplines of Statistics. To achieve the objective of this study was a quantitative study conducted by applying the Attitude Scale front of students to Statistics - Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS) - and the Academic Motivation Scale - Échelle of Motivation en Éducation (EMA) - with 278 students from two public colleges of Management. In the creation of models of relationship between academic motivation and attitude towards Statistics (independent variables) and performance (dependent variable) found that compared to note the best model of discipline exhibited a low value of explanation (adjusted R2 = 7.3 %), emerging as the only significant predictors of Affection, Extrinsic Motivation - introjection, Extrinsic Motivation - external control and Intrinsic Motivation - experiencing stimuli. However, the model showed that the perception of performance as the dependent variable showed a considerable amount of explanation (adjusted R2 = 45.5%), emerging as the only significant predictors Affect, Cognitive Competence and Extrinsic Motivation - introjection. By means of cluster analysis verified that one of the three groups obtained showed greater and less dispersed, both with regard to note, as compared to the perception of performance. In this sense, given the analysis of the results, it was concluded that, in general, the group of students with greater interest in Finance presented the highest scores both in terms of attitude towards Statistics as in relation to academic motivation.

No campo da psicologia educacional, muitos estudos têm diagnosticado a motivação de estudantes na área da química, mas poucos propõem intervenções e avaliam seu potencial para a mudança da motivação para a aprendizagem, especialmente no contexto brasileiro. Diante disso, este estudo avaliou a contribuição de palestras interativas para a promoção da motivação para aprender química em estudantes do primeiro ano do Ensino Médio de três escolas públicas da cidade de São Carlos com base na Self-Determination Theory (SDT). As palestras foram desenvolvidas a partir da parceria com grupos de pesquisa do IQSC e representam um conjunto de atividades dinâmicas de divulgação científica, das quais quatro foram selecionadas para serem aplicadas ao longo de um ano, no total de 21 apresentações para cerca de 150 estudantes. Os espaços de apresentação das palestras foram um museu de ciências e o saguão de uma biblioteca da USP. Foi utilizada a triangulação metodológica pautada na aplicação de questionários com escala Likert, realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas com estudantes e professores e observações no diário de campo. A análise do instrumento Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire (CMQ), através do cálculo da mediana, juntamente da análise das entrevistas dos professores, forneceu dados sobre o estado motivacional inicial dos estudantes e o cenário na qual a pesquisa se desdobrou. Foi revelada a prevalência da motivação regulada por fatores externos, como a motivação por nota, em todas as escolas. A análise do instrumento Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), indicou que as palestras interativas de química satisfizeram aspectos promotores do interesse, valor, esforço e percepção de escolha nos estudantes, em detrimento do sentimento de pressão, o que aponta para uma atividade motivadora. A partir da categorização simples das entrevistas e análise dos resultados, o aumento do interesse pela química, a melhor compreensão dos conceitos químicos, a melhor compreensão da natureza da química, bem como do aumento do esforço aplicado para o aprendizado forneceram, dentre outros fatores, indícios da promoção da motivação para o aprendizado de química. Tais resultados foram corroborados pelas observações dos professores à medida que aprofundaram o olhar para suas turmas e notaram particular aumento do esforço e interesse, embora não tenham observado mudanças em toda a sala de aula. Dentre os aspectos das palestras que contribuíram para os resultados, destacam-se a promoção de interação entre os alunos, do engajamento e envolvimento cognitivo a partir das dinâmicas das apresentações. As pesquisas científicas apresentadas, espaços não formais utilizados e formação dos apresentadores também tiveram papel fundamental. Contudo, aspectos relacionados à avaliação escolar e falta de diálogo entre professores e estudantes podem limitar essas atividades no que concerne ao diagnóstico, intervenção e acompanhamento dos estudantes. Os resultados fomentam a importância da divulgação científica da química e responsabilidade da universidade pública no processo de divulgação e motivação do estudante para o aprendizado. / In the educational psychology field, many studies have been doing the diagnosis of student\'s motivation to chemistry, but few studies propose interventions and evaluate its potential for changing the motivation to learning, especially at Brazilian context. From this, this study evaluated the contribution of interactive lectures to promote the motivation to learn chemistry in first-year High School students of three public schools of São Carlos city based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The lectures were develop from the partnership with IQSC research groups and represent a set of dynamic activities of science popularization, of which four of them were chosen to be applied over one year, in a total of 21 presentations to around 150 students. The presentation spaces of the lectures were a science museum and the hall of a library of USP. The triangulation methodology was used, based on the application of Likert scale questionnaires, semi-structured interviews with students and teachers and observations and field notes. The analysis of the Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire (CMQ), through the median calculation, and the teachers\' interview analysis, provided data about students\' initial motivational state and about the scenario in which the research was unfolded. The prevalence of motivation regulated by external factors, such as grade motivation, was revealed in all schools. The analysis of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) indicated that the interactive chemistry lectures have satisfied aspects related to promotion of interest, value, effort and perception of choice to the detriment of the sense of pressure, which points to a motivating activity. From the simple categorization of the interviews and analysis of the results, the increase in interest for chemistry and the increase of the effort to learn provided, between other factors, indications of promotion of motivation to learning chemistry. These results were corroborated by the observations of the teachers as they paid more attention to their classroom and noticed a particular increase in effort and interest, although they did not observe changes in all students. Among the aspects of the lectures that contributed to the results, the promotion of interaction among students, engagement and cognitive involvement based on the dynamics of presentations are highlight. The scientific research presented, non-formal spaces used and presenters training also played fundamental role. However, aspects related to school evaluation and lack of dialogue between teachers and students may limit this activities regarding the diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of the classes. The results foment the importance of scientific popularization of chemistry and the responsibility of the public university in the process of dissemination and motivation of students to learn.