Examining Relationships in Self-Determination Theory

Relationships are the foundation of any view of modern culture and society, and as such, theories on relationships become important ideas to examine in the context of social psychology. Self-determination theory (SDT) is a theory of social psychology that explains the human need to feel some degree of autonomy and personal motivation in their daily lives (Baumeister & Bushman, 2011). People are ultimately motivated by either intrinsic or extrinsic forces (Baumeister & Bushman, 2011). Whereas one action might be guided by an internal altruism, SDT tells us that another action might be guided by external demands or influences.

Human beings are social creatures, but we are also creatures that yearn for the freedom that individuality brings. We have an innate need to be free, and it is this innate need that provides intrinsic motivational benefits (Baumeister & Bushman, 2011). SDT focuses on types of motivation rather than amounts, and it is these types of motivation that can be reflected in many social relationships (Baumeister & Bushman, 2011; Meyer & Gagne, 2008). Ultimately, it is a sense of autonomy that can provide motivation that strengthens a relationship, rather than putting strain on it, while also promoting a better sense of well-being

Parent/Child Relationships

The parent/child relationship is probably the most important relationship in terms of both social and developmental psychology. A big subject in examining parental control in childhood development deals with autonomy given to children as they grow. In fact, Joussemet, Landry and Koestner (2008) examined research on the need for autonomy in children, and how such autonomy support from parents encourages healthy development; what’s more, they reviewed the material in the context of SDT. Although not necessarily a developmental theory, SDT is considered important for the socialization, internalization and development of a child (Joussemet, et al., 2008). SDT examines autonomy, which is crucial to healthy childhood development.

Observation of parent/child relationships can yield many different results. Joussemet et al. (2008) reviewed parental observation studies to uncover potential correlations between parental autonomy support and a child’s intrinsic motivation. In addition to successfully examining the validity of such a correlation, Joussemet et al. (2008) noted that parental interview studies showed that autonomy supportive attitudes from parents directly related to childhood adjustment while entering school. Furthermore, self-report studies from children also revealed a correlation between perceptions of autonomy in the children and psychosocial functioning (Joussemet et al., 2008). Research seems to support that autonomy lies at the heart of solid parent/child relationships.

With autonomy being the key to healthy childhood growth and relationship building, SDT seems a viable theory to examine such research. Joussemet et al. (2008) conclude that SDT acts as an excellent motivational theory for the socialization, internalization and development of children, and that autonomy does not, in fact, promote detachment, but instead a democratic structure with respect to the child’s interests and feelings. These benefits of autonomy are not just important for parents and their children, but can also be seen in other social circles, such as in employer/employee relationships.

Employee Engagement

SDT provides important insights into many aspects of motivation, but key to industrial and organization psychology are the insights brought to the ideas of employee engagement and the employer/employee relationship. Meyer and Gagne (2008) justify the focus of SDT in relation to employee management and organizational behavior by examining just such relationships. In fact, SDT can be seen as the main missing key to unifying various thoughts on employee engagement in various industries and organizations (Meyer & Gagne, 2008). SDT provides insights into the motivation of the employee.

Engagement theories come from many different angles. In various cases, engagement theorists are often left debating the opposite of engagement (Meyer & Gagne, 2008). Some view a lack of motivation as the opposite, while others view disengagement as the opposite (Meyer & Gagne, 2008). Meyer and Gagne (2008) propose that this debate is best solved by SDT, which shows correlated categories when discussing motivation, amotivation and reactive autonomy. One particular example of reactive autonomy would be rebellion against procedures or managers (i.e. authority) when a lack of autonomy (or reduction in autonomy) is perceived (Meyer & Gagne, 2008).

Current research in SDT that looks into employee engagement has yielded promising results. Better employee engagement has led to better well-being for those being engaged properly than those noted as being amotivated (Meyer & Gagne, 2008). This has produced employer benefits in the form of lower absences from work and lower health care insurance costs (Meyer & Gagne, 2008). Proper employee engagement can lead to healthier, happier employees.

To conclude, Meyer and Gagne (2008) note that SDT is well-equipment to measure things like employee engagement, as well as various other facets of engagement. SDT is valuable in serving as a unifying theory to solidify various ideas on engagement that would otherwise be seen as having sparse and diverse theoretical and empirical facts and opinions (Meyer & Gagne, 2008). SDT has shown itself to be a valuable theory in real life situations that actually yields real-world benefits.

Conclusion

SDT is a theory that can be relied upon by psychologists and other counselors to examine the strengths and weaknesses of relationships on both a personal level and in a corporate environment. In practice, autonomy support can be seen by examining the various parent/child relationships that surround you. Not enough autonomy and more parental control can be seen as an authoritarian way of parenting and lead to acting out and quite possibly depression (Boyd & Bee, 2009; Feng et al., 2009). Too much autonomy can be seen as indulgent parenting or simply neglectful (Boyd & Bee, 2009).

The same can be said of employee engagement. Improper knowledge of SDT – considering the importance of autonomy in the workplace – can lead to push-back from the employees and possibly a rebellious attitude towards those in authority if proper autonomy is not given. Alternately, those employees who feel a certain sense of autonomy as a member of the company can often show greater commitment to the company and exhibit better qualities, while experiencing better overall health.

Understanding SDT allows a person to understand the perception of freedom in a social environment. Those without a sense of freedom have been shown to act more violently and have less well-being (Baumeister, Bushman, 2011). To the contrary, those who perceive this sense of autonomy not only show greater well-being, but also establish better relationships.

References

Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2011). Social psychology and human nature. (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Boyd, D. & Bee, H. (2009). Lifespan development. (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Feng, X., Keenan, K., Hipwell, A. E., Henneberger, A. K., Rischall, M. S., Butch, J., …Babinski, D. E. (2009). Longitudinal associations between emotion regulation and depression in preadolescent girls: Moderation by the caregiving environment. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 798-808.

Joussemet, M., Landry, R., & Koestner, R. (2008). A self-determination theory perspective on parenting. Canadian Psychology, 49(3), 194-200.

Meyer, J. P., & Gagne, M. (2008). Employee engagement from a self-determination theory perspective. Industrial & Organizational Psychology, 1(1), 60-62.