| | | | Overview | Webpage | | | Courses | | | Research interests
| | | Supervision doctoral students and scientific assistants
| | | Organisation of the 4th Self-Determination Theory conference (2010) in Gent | | | Information about talks, workshops and new publications
| | | Publications grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
A. Key overviews
B. Chronological overview Empirical contributions Chapters
C. Domain-bounded overview Experiments Need satisfaction Goals Education Parenting Sport & exercise Psychotherapy Work & unemployment Religion Social relationships Identity development
Publications not grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) Empirical contributions Chapters
| | | Questionnaires
| | | Self-regulation
| | | Need satisfaction
| | | Need support
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Webpage | Self-determination theory website
| | | Centre for motivation psychology - KULeuven
| | | Thoughts on happiness website
| | | | | Courses | Developmental psychology - Moral sciences | | | Developmental psychology - Educational sciences | | | Developmental psychology I - 1st bachelor of psychology | | | Developmental psychology II - 2nd bachelor of psychology | | | Developmental psychology I - SCHA | | | | Research interests
| My main research interest concerns the question why people are doing what they are doing. Why would a student put effort in his school work? What moves a child to comply or defy the rules of his parents? Why does a patient decide to continue or quit therapy? Why is an unemployed person looking for a job? Why are we recycling and do we do something for the betterment of the environment? These are all motivational questions.
Throughout my research I try to map out the reasons that motivate people’s behavior and the goals and ambitions that people pursue throughout their lives. An important question that I try to address is whether particular motives and goals are more likely to be associated with enduring persistence, high quality performance, personal wellness (e.g., low depression), a smoother identity development, and more adjusted social functioning (e.g., low prejudice). In addition, I try to examine how the social environment, including parents, teachers, coaches and therapists, can affect people’s motivation.
This research can yield important practical insights for how to organize schools, companies, clinical settings and the society as a whole. After all, each of us functions to some extent as a motivation psychologist when we try to stimulate and encourage people around us in our daily lives. In answering these questions, I try to help build and extend the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000; Vansteenkiste, Ryan, & Deci, 2008), but equally rely on other motivational (e.g., achievement goal theory, expectancy value theorie), developmental (e.g., separation-individuation theory, social domain theory), clinical (e.g., motivational interviewing, transtheoretical model of change) and work and organizational theories (e.g., goal setting theory, job demands resources model). | | | | Supervision doctoral students
| Joke Verstuyf (Ghent University, Advisor): Intrinsic and extrinsic goals, body dissatisfaction and eating disorders | | | | | | Anja Van den Broeck (University of Leuven, Co-advisor): Need satisfaction, work motivation and engagement | | | | | | Chen Beiwen (Ghent University Gent, Co-promotor): Autonomy, cross-cultural
| | | | | | Stijn Vanpetegem (Ghent University, Co-advisor): Autonomy, identity, intimacy | | | | | | Joke Vandorpe (Ghent University, Advisor)
| | | | | | Eline Sierens (University of Leuven, Closely involved): Teaching style, motivation and self-regulated learning | | | | | | Dorien Wuyts (Ghent University, Closely involved): Parenting, Internalization, Social Domain Theory | | | | | | Evie Kins (Ghent University, Closely involved): Living situation, emerging adulthood, and motivation | | | | | | Lynn Vandenberghe (Ghent University, closely involved): Motivaiton, Physical Education, Teaching
| | | | Scientific assistants
| Hein Huyghe (University of Gent): Motivation, ecology and eco-driving
| | | | Supervised dissertations
| Bart Neyrinck: Cognitive-affective correlates of autonomous and controlled motivation: An exploration in the religious realm and beyond (2009, University of Leuven, Belgium). | | | | | | Athanasios Mouratidis: In search of quality of motivation: Antecendents and correlates of autonomous motivation and achievement goals in sport and physical education (2009, University of Leuven, Belgium).
| | | | | | Simon Sebire: Goal-content in exercise: A self-determination theory perspective (2009, University of Bath, UK)
| | | | Conference information
| Organisation of the 4th Self-Determination Theory Conference | | | We are very excited to announce that the 4th conference on Self-Determination Theory will be organised in Gent! The conference takes place in the H. Dunantlaan 2 in the period from the 13th till the 16th of May 2010.
- it is now possible to register for the 4th International Self-Determination Theory Conference
- If somebody would like to help out with the organisation of the conference, you may contact myself or Bart Soenens by e-mail.
We hope that this next SDT-conference will bring together all researchers who are helping to build SDT such that we can get to know one another and can jointly continue our efforts to develop the theory in a systematic, cumulative and coherent fashion. | | Information about talks, workshops and new publications | Workshops and talks | | | Because both the enacment and the lack of enactment of any kind of behavior represents a motivated act, one can address the importance of people's motivation in any life domain, including scholing and education, unemployment and work, social, health and psychological care, and sport and exercise. Authority figures such as teachers, parents, psychotherapists, coaches and policital leaders can increase but also harm people's motivation. Through interactive presentations or workshops, the basic principles of Self-Determination Theory are explained. Both the different types of motives that underly people's behavior as well as the way the environment affects people motivation are addressed. You can contact me through e-mail (
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) or by phone (0032/9/2646413) if you express an interest in such presentations or would like to receive further information.
| | | New publications | | | If you want to stay informed with respect to new publications by our group around Self-Determination Theory, please send an e-mail to
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to conform your interest. She will include you in a mailing list and you will be send a copy of the papers once they appear. | | | | Publications
| | | | Publications grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
| | | | | | A. Key theoretical overviews
| | | | GENERAL SDT
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Niemiec, C., & Soenens, B. (in press). The development of the five mini-theories of self-determination theory: An historical overivew, emerging trends, and future directions. In T. Urdan & S. Karabenick (Eds.). Advances in Motivation and Achievement, vol. 16: The decade ahead. UK: Emerald Publishing.
| | | | PARENTING
| - Soenens, B., & Vansteenkiste, M. (in press). A theoretical upgrade of the concept of parental psychological control: Proposing new insights on the basis of self-determination theory. Developmental Review.
| | | |
GOALS
| | | | | | GENERAL SDT | - Vansteenkiste, M., Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2008). Self-determination theory and the explanatory role of psychological needs in human well-being. In L. Bruni, F. Comim, & M. Pugno (Eds.), Capabilities and happiness (pp. 187-223). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
| | | | GOALS / LEARNING
| | | | | GENERAL SDT
| | | | | | | B. Chronological Overview
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions
| | | | SPORT / GOALS
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Mouratidis, A., & Lens, W. (in press). Detaching reasons from aims: Fair Play and Well-being in Soccer as a Function of pursuing performance-approach goals for autonomous or controlling reasons. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology.
| | | | PSYCHOTHERAPY / MOTIVATION
| - Ryan, R. M., Lynch, M. F., Vansteenkiste, M., & Deci, E. L. (in press). Motivation and autonomy in counseling, psychotherapy, and behavior change: A look at theory and practice. Counseling Psychologist.
| | | | RELIGION / MOTIVATION
| - Neyrinck, B., Lens, W., Vansteenkiste, M., & Soenens, B. (in press). Updating Allport's and Bateson's framework of relgious orientations: A refreshing look from the perspective of self-determination theoery and Wulff's cognitive model of approaches towards religions. Journal for Scientific Study of Religion.
| | | | PARENTING / PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
| Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., & Luyten, P. (in press). Towards a domain-specific approach to the study of parental psychological control: Distinguishing between dependency-oriented and achievement-oriented psychological control. Journal of Personality.
| | | | NEED SATISFACTION / WORK
| - Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (in press). Capturing autonomy, relatedness and competence at work: Construction and initial validation of the work-related basic need satisfaction scale . Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology.
| | | | | IDENTITY / PARENTING | - Smits, I., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Luyckx, K., & Goossens, L. (in press). Why do adolescents gather information or stick to parental norms? Autonomous and controlled motives behind adolescents' identity style. Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
| | | | IDENTITY / MOTIVATION
| Luyckx, K., Schwartz, S. J., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., & Goossens, L. (2010). The path from identity commitments to adjustment: Motivational underpinnings and mediating mechanisms. Journal for Counseling and Development, 88, 52-60.
| | | | | PARENTING / AUTONOMY | | | | | PARENTING / SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
| | | | | | IDENTITY / NEED SATISFACTION | | | | | PSYCHOTHERAPY
| | | | | GOALS / UNEMPLOYMENT
| | | | | GOALS / EXERCISING / NEEDS
| - Sebire, S., Standage, M., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2009). Examining goal content in the exercise domain: Intrinsic versus extrinsic goals and cognitive, affective, and behavioural outcomes, and psychological need satisfaction. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 31, 189-210.
| | | | RELIGION / PARENTING
| | | | | EDUCATION / GOALS | | | | | | PARENTING | | | | | | GOALS / IDENTITY | | | | | | EDUCATION | | | | | EDUCATION
| - Sierens, E., Vansteenkiste, M., Goossens, L., Soenens, B., & Dochy, F. (2009). The interactive effect of perceived teacher autonomy-support and structure in the prediction of self-regulated learning. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 79, 57-68.
| | | | EDUCATION
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Soenens, B., Sierens, E., Luyckx, K., & Lens, W. (2009). Motivational profiles from a self-determination perspective: The quality of motivation matters. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 671-688.
| | | | PARENTING
| - Soenens, B., Luyckx, K., Vansteenkiste, M., Duriez, B., & Goossens, L. (2008). Clarifying the link between perceived parental psychological control and adolescents’ depressive feelings: A test of reciprocal versus unidirectional models of influence. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 54, 411-444.
| | | | WORK / NEEDS
| - Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., & Lens, W. (2008). The role of basic need satisfaction in explaining the relationships between demands, resources, well-being and engagement. Work & Stress, 22, 277-294.
| | | | GOALS / EXERCISE
| | | | | | PARENTING / RELATIONSHIPS | - Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Goossens, L., Duriez, B., & Niemiec, C. (2008). The intervening role of relational aggression between psychological control and friendship quality. Social Development, 17, 661-681.
| | | | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY / PARENTING
| - Soenens, B., Luyckx, K., Vansteenkiste, M., Luyten, P., Duriez, B., & Goossens, L. (2008). Maladaptive perfectionism as an intervening variable between psychological control and adolescent depressive feelings: A three-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 465-474.
| | | |
EXERCISE
| | | | | GOALS / PARENTING
| | | | | EDUCATION
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Timmermans, T., Lens, W., Soenens, B., & Van den Broeck, A. (2008). Does extrinsic goal framing enhance extrinsic goal oriented individuals’ learning and performance? An experimental test of the match-perspective vs. self-determination theory. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100, 387-397.
| | | | | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY / PARENTING | - Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Vandereycken, W., Luyten, P., Sierens, E., & Goossens, L. (2008). Perceived parental psychological control and eating disordered symptoms: Maladaptive perfectionism as a possible intervening variable. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 196, 144-152.
| | | | IDENTITY / PARENTING
| - Luyckx, K., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Goossens, L., & Berzonsky, M. (2007). Parental psychological control and dimensions of identity formation in emerging adulthood . Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 546-550.
| | | | | PARENTING | | | | | GOALS
| | | | | IDENTITY
| - Luyckx, K., Soenens B., Berzonsky, M. D., Smits, I., Goossens, L., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2007). Information-oriented identity processing, identity consolidation, and well-being: The moderating role of autonomy, self-reflection, and self-rumination. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 1099-1111.
| | | | | PARENTING / RELATIONSHIPS | | | | | IDENTITY / PARENTING
| - Luyckx, K., Soenens, B., Goossens, L., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2007). Parenting, identity formation, and college adjustment: A mediation model with longitudinal data. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 7, 309-331.
| | | | | EXERCISE / GOALS | | | | | | CROSS-CULTURAL | | | | | WORK / GOALS
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Neyrinck, B., Niemiec, C. P., Soenens, B., De Witte, H., & Van den Broeck, A. (2007). On the relations among work value orientations, psychological need satisfaction, and job outcomes: A self-determination theory approach. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 80, 251-277
| | | | PARENTING
| Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Luyckx, K., Beyers, W., Goossens, L., & Ryan, R. M. (2007). Conceptualizing parental autonomy support: Adolescent perceptions of promoting independence versus promoting volitional functioning. Developmental Psychology, 43, 633-646.
| | | | | GOALS | | | | | GOALS / EDUCATION
| | | | | CROSS-CULTURAL / NEEDS
| | | | | PARENTING
| | | | | PARENTING
| - Niemiec, C., Lynch, M., Vansteenkiste, M., Bernstein, J., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2006). The antecedents and consequences of adolescents' autonomous motivation for academics: A self-determination theory perspective on socialization. Journal of Adolescence, 29, 761-77.
| | | | RELIGION
| - Neyrinck, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Hutsebaut, D., & Duriez, B. (2006). Cognitive, affective and behavioral correlates of internalization of regulations for religious activities. Motivation and Emotion, 30, 321-332.
| | | | CLINICAL
| | | | | | UNEMPLOYMENT | - Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., De Witte, H., & Feather, N. T (2005). Understanding unemployed people's search behavior, unemployment experience and well-being: A comparison of expectancy-value theory and self-determination theory. British Journal of Social Psychology, 44, 1-20.
| | | | PARENTING
| | | | | IDENTITY / PERSONALITY
| - Soenens, B., Berzonsky, M. D., Vansteenkiste, M., Goossens, L., & Beyers, W. (2005). Identity styles and causality orientations: In search of the motivational underpinnings of the identity exploration process. European Journal of Personality, 18, 1-16.
| | | | EDUCATION
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Simons, J., Lens, W., Soenens, B., & Matos, L. (2005). Examining the impact of extrinsic versus intrinsic goal framing and internally controlling versus autonomy-supportive communication style upon early adolescents’ academic achievement. Child Development, 76, 483-501.
| | | | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
| | | | | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY / PARENTING
| - Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Duriez, B, Luytten, P., & Goossens, L. (2005). Psychological control and adjustment: The mediating role of maladaptive perfectionism. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 487-498.
| | | | | EDUCATION / CROSS-CULTURAL | | | | | EDUCATION / GOALS
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Simons, J., Lens, W., Soenens, B, Matos, L., & Lacante, M. (2004). “Less is sometimes more”: Goal-content Matters. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96, 755-764.
| | | | EDUCATION / GOALS
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Simons, J., Lens, W., Sheldon, K. M., & Deci, E. L. (2004). Motivating learning, performance, and persistence: The synergistic role of intrinsic goals and autonomy-support. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 246-260.
| | | | | EXERCISE / GOALS | - Vansteenkiste, M., Simons, J., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (2004). How to become a persevering exerciser? The importance of providing a clear, future intrinsic goal in an autonomy-supportive manner. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 26, 232-249.
| | | | | UNEMPLOYMENT | - Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Dewitte, S., De Witte, H, & Deci, E. L. (2004). The “why” and “why not” of job search behavior: Their relation to searching, unemployment experience and well-being. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34, 345-363.
| | | | | SPORT | | | | | | | Chapters
| | | | WORK / ORGANISATION
| | SPORT / EXERCISE
| - Mouratidis, T., Vansteenkiste, M., & Lens, W. (2008). Beyond positive feedback: The effects of competence support on autonomous motivation and adjustment in physical education. In J. Seghers and H. Vangrunderbeek (Eds.). Physical education research: What’s the evidence? Acco, Leuven.
| SPORT / EXERCISE
| - Markland, D., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2007). A self-determination theory approach to understanding motivational interviewing and promoting regular physical activity. In M. S. Hagger and N. Chatzisarantis (Eds.) Self-Determination Theory in exercise and sport. Human Kinetics.
| SPORT / EXERCISE
| - Vansteenkiste, M., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (2007). Intrinsic versus extrinsic goal promotion in sport and exercise: Understanding their differential impact on performance and persistence. In M. S. Hagger and N. Chatzisarantis (Eds.) Self-Determination Theory in exercise and sport. Human Kinetics.
| GOALS
| - Kasser, T., Vansteenkiste, M., & Deckop, J.R. (2007). The ethical problems of a materialist value orientation for business. In Deckop, J.R. (Ed.) Human Resource Management Ethics, (pp. 283-306). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishers.
| RELIGION
| - Neyrinck, B., Lens, W., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2005). Goals and regulations of religiosity: A motivational analysis. In M.L. Maehr & S. Karabenick (Eds.). Advances in motivation and achievement (pp. 77-106). Greenwich, Conn.: Jai Press Inc.
| | | | | | Domain-bounded overview
| | |
| | Experiments | | | | | | Need satisfaction | Overviews
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions
| | | | | | - Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (in press). Capturing autonomy, relatedness and competence at work: Construction and initial validation of the work-related basic need satisfaction scale. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology.
| | | | | Goals | Overviews
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions
| | | | | Education | Overviews
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions | | | | | Parenting | Overviews
| | | - Soenens, B., & Vansteenkiste, M. (in press). A theoretical upgrade of the concept of parental psychological control: Proposing new insights on the basis of self-determination theory. Developmental Review.
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions
| | | - Smits, I., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Luyckx, K., & Goossens, L. (in press). Why do adolescents gather information or stick to parental norms? Autonomous and controlled motives behind adolescents' identity style. Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
| | | | | Sport & Exercise | Overviews
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions
| | | | | | - Vansteenkiste, M., Mouratidis, A., & Lens, W. (in press). Detaching reasons from aims: Fair Play and Well-being in Soccer as a Function of pursuing performance-approach goals for autonomous or controlling reasons. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology.
| | | | | Psychotherapy | Overviews
| | | - Ryan, R. M., Lynch, M. F., Vansteenkiste, M., & Deci, E. L. (in press). Motivation and autonomy in counseling, psychotherapy, and behavior change: A look at theory and practice. Counseling Psychologist.
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions
| | | | | Work & Unemployment | Overviews
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions
| | | | | Religion | Overviews
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions | | | | | Social Relationships | | | | | | Identity development | Overviews
| | | | | | Empirical Contributions
| | | - Smits, I., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Luyckx, K., & Goossens, L. (in press). Why do adolescents gather information or stick to parental norms? Autonomous and controlled motives behind adolescents' identity style. Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
| | | | | | Other English empirical contributions | | | | WORK
| - Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., & De Cuyper, N. (in press). Not all job demands are created equal: Differentiating job challenges and job hindrances in the Job Demands Resources Model. European Journal of Work Psychology.
| EDUCATION
| - Sideridis, G., Vansteenkiste, M., Siakali, M. Georgiou, M., Irakleous, I., Tsigourla, I., & Fragiadaki, E. (2009). Goal priming and the emotional experience of students with and without attention problems: An application of the emotional Stoop task. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42? 177-189.
| | PHYSICAL EDUCATION / ACHIEVEMENT GOALS | | RELIGION
| - Dezutter, J., Soenens, B., Luyckx, K., Bruyneel, S., Vansteenkiste, M., Duriez, B., & Hutsebaut, D. (2009). The role of religion in death attitudes: Distinguishing between religious belief and style of processing religious contents. Death Studies, 33, 73-92.
|
LEARNING
| - Lens, W., Vansteenkiste, M., & Matos, L. (2008). Student motivation and future time perspective in Belgium. The Japanese Journal of Psychological Science, 28, 48-88 (in Japanese).
| IDENTITY
| - Luyckx, K., Schwartz, S. J., Berzonsky, M. D., Soenens, B.,Vansteenkiste, M., Smits, I., & Goossens, L. (in press). Capturing ruminative type of exploration: Extending and refining dimensions and statuses of late adolescent identity formation. Journal of Research on Personality, 42, 58-82.
| EDUCATION / ACHIEVEMENT GOALS
| - Matos, L., Lens, W., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2007). Achievement goal orientations, learning strategies and language achievement among Peruvian high school students. Psychologica Belgica, 47, 51-70
| | PARENTING | | IDENTITY
| - Luyckx, K., Goossens, L., Soenens, B., Beyers, W., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2005). Identity Statuses based upon four rather than two identity dimensions: Extending and refining Marcia’s paradigm. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 605-618.
| EDUCATION
| | EDUCATION
| | | | | | | Other English chapters
| | | | | | - Matos, L., Lens, W., & Vansteenkiste, M. (in press). School culture matters for teachers’ and students’ achievement goals. In A. Kaplan, S. Karabenick, & E. De Groot (Eds.). Culture, self, and motivation: Essays in honor of Martin L. Maehr. Information Age.
| | | - Lens, W., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2007). Predicting self-regulated learning: A motivational analysis. In Schunk, D. H., & Zimmerman, B. J. (Eds.). Motivation and self-regulated learning: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 141-168). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
| | | - Lens, W., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2006). Motivation: About the “why” and “what for” of human behavior. In K. Pawlik & G. d’Ydewalle (Eds.) International conceptual history of psychology (pp.249-270) Hove, UK: Psychology Press.
| | | Sheldon, K. M. & Vansteenkiste, M. (2005). Time travel via goals: Implications and issues. In A. Strathman & J. Joireman (Eds.), Understanding Behavior in the Context of Time: Theory, Research, and Applications in Social, Personality, Health, and Environmental Psychology (pp. 143-165). Erlbaum.
| | | | | | Questionnaires
| | | Self-regulation
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Need satisfaction
| | | | | | | | | Need support
| | | | | | | | Bibliography | Bibliography |
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