Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: His research focuses on the effects of social context on human motivation, self-concept and personality development, and well being.Self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2000b) suggests that, to the extent that social contexts support a person"s basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, they facilitate greater well-being and vitality.Autonomy refers to the experience of behaving in accord with one"s own interests or values (Ryan, 1993) and it is supported by non-controlling, supportive relationships.Competence is a propensity toward mastery and effectance in one"s environment, and is facilitated by conditions that provide optimal challenges and positive feedback (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975;Deci, 1975).Finally, relatedness refers to a propensity toward connectedness or belongingness with others (Baumeister & Leary, 1995;Deci & Ryan, 1985), and is fostered when others treat one in warm and caring ways (Reis & Franks, 1994;Ryan, La Guardia, Butzel, Kim, & Chirkov, 2003).Understanding the role of basic psychological needs can provide a useful framework for counselors, both in case conceptualization and in designing treatment interventions (Lynch & Levers, 2007), but questions remain about the universality of the needs posited by SDT.The present paper reports on one study that has examined the role of these needs across three cultures: China, Russia, and the United States.Evidence from Western countries, in particular the United States, provides considerable support for the SDT concept of basic needs (see Deci & Ryan, 2000; Ryan & Deci, 2000b for reviews).For example, La Guardia, Ryan, Couchman and Deci (2000) showed that when young adults experienced need satisfaction within specific relationships, they reported having better relationships.That is, people reported more security, satisfaction, and well-being within relationships that were need supportive.Reis, Sheldon, Gable, Roscoe and Ryan (2000) showed that changes in daily well-being were associated with fluctuations in basic psychological need satisfaction.Testing the SDT model in a cross-cultural context, however, is controversial, because some theorists have questioned whether SDT"s conceptualization of basic psychological needs, particularly the need for autonomy, has universal significance (Ryan & Deci, 2000a).SDT specifically suggests that autonomy is an essential need for psychological growth and well-being regardless of cultural backdrops and values.This contrasts with a relativist view that "psychological needs" are socially constructed rather than universal.According to the relativist view, autonomy is important primarily in
Author: Lynch, Martin F.
Institution: University of Rochester
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7064294175