focusing on health & wellbeing

1. focusing on health & wellbeing wellness in students

2. key points of this talk self-determination theory & well-being • needs • goals • motivations

3. personal background work through a small charity whose aims are: • to provide a specialist service both for the treatment of psychological difficulties and for helping people enhance their health and wellbeing. • to try to provide and encourage a whole person approach that uses what is best in conventional, complementary & self-help methods of health care for more details & a downloadable copy of this talk go to the ‘good knowledge’ section of www.goodmedicine.org.uk click on ‘lectures and leaflets’ and look under ‘wellbeing and health’ in ‘past lectures’

4. self-determination theory (SDT) looking at well-being through the lens of self-determination theory www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT • SDT is a general theory of motivation and personality that has evolved over the past three decades • SDT suggests humans, like plants or other animals, intrinsically ‘strive’ for need satisfaction & flourishing • social contexts can support or thwart this need striving with major effects for health & well-being Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, Plenum. Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry 11: 227-268.

5. key points of this talk self-determination theory & well-being • needs • goals • motivations

6. three key psychological needs • a basic need (whether physiological or psychological) is defined as an energizing state that, if satisfied, promotes health & well-being but, if not satisfied, contributes to pathology and ill-being • how these three basic psychological needs – autonomy, comp-etence & relatedness – can best be satisfied will vary with individual strengths, life stage, social context, and culture • personal goals that lead to satisfaction of these three basic needs will promote well-being, but individuals – due to broad societal conditioning and personal life history – may well strive for goals that do not satisfy these needs or enhance their well-being Ryan, R. M. and E. L. Deci (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol55(1): 68-78.

7. competence autonomy relatedness three key psychological needs • autonomy – personal choice not compulsion by outside forces • competence – capable & effective not incompetent & inefficient • relatedness – regular emotional intimacy & shared activities not isolation & loneliness Reis, H. T., K. M. Sheldon, et al. (2000). Daily well-being: the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 26(4): 419-435. Sheldon, K. M., A. J. Elliot, et al. (2001). What is satisfying about satisfying events? Testing 10 candidate psychological needs. J Pers Soc Psychol 80(2): 325-39.

8. competence autonomy relatedness what makes for a good day? • people whose needs for competence, autonomy & relatedness are more satisfied experience greater well-being than those whose needs are less satisfied • at the same time, for each individual, days when these basic needs are more satisfied are experienced as better than days when the needs are less satisfied • it’s not just the total amount of need satisfaction, it’s also the balance that optimises well-being Sheldon, K. M., R. Ryan, et al. (1996). What makes for a good day? Competence and autonomy in the day and in the person. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 22(12): 1270-1279. Sheldon, K. M. and C. P. Niemiec (2006). It's not just the amount that counts: balanced need satisfaction also affects well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol 91(2): 331-41.

9. key points of this talk self-determination theory & well-being • needs • goals • motivations

10. many research studies on goals • Kasser, T. and R. M. Ryan (1993). A dark side of the American dream: correlates of financial success as a central life aspiration. J Pers Soc Psychol 65(2): 410-22. • Kasser, T. and R. M. Ryan (1996). Further examining the American dream: differential correlates of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 22(3): 280-287. • Lapierre, S., L. Bouffard, et al. (1997). Personal goals and subjective well-being in later life. Int J Aging Hum Dev 45(4): 287-303. • Schmuck, P., T. Kasser, et al. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic goals: their structure and relationship to well-being in German and U.S. college students. Social Indicators Research 50(2): 225-241. • Kasser, T. and A. Ahuvia (2002). Materialistic values and well-being in business students. European Journal of Social Psychology 32(1): 137-146.

11. now for some active involvement Larson

12. your personal choice of goals which are your three top choices? • emotional intimacy having many close & caring relationships • financial success having a job that pays very well and having a lot of nice possessions • fame/popularity being known &/or admired by many people • community contribution helping to make the world a better place • attractive image looking good & appearing attractive to others • personal growth being fulfilled & having a very meaningful life

13. goals & their health implications key needs – relatedness, autonomy & competence • intrinsic goals prioritising intimacy, community & personal growth, tend to satisfy these three key psychological needs directly. • extrinsic goals prioritising money, status & image focus on achieving external rewards & praise – typically at the expense of key need satisfaction. prioritising extrinsic goals is associated with increased anxiety, depression, narcissism & physical symptoms and decreased vitality, self-actualization & well-being

14. goals & wellbeing e.g. emotional intimacy having many close & caring relationships; personal growth being fulfilled and having a very meaningful life; community contribution helping to make the world a better place encourage wellbeing “intrinsic” goals Sheldon, K. M. et al. (2004). "The inde-pendent effects of goal contents & motives on well-being: it's both what you pursue & why you pursue it." Pers Soc Psychol Bull 30(4): 475-86 goals are defined here as “projects you think about, plan for, carry out and sometimes (though not always) complete or succeed at” e.g. financial success having a job that pays very well and having a lot of nice possessions; fame/popularity being known and/or admired by many people; attractive image looking good and appearing attractive to others “extrinsic” goals unrelated to wellbeing

15. social context affects goal choice • Kasser, T., et al. (2002). Early family experiences and adult values: A 26-year, prospective longitudinal study. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 28(6): 826-835. • Feeney, B. C. (2004). A secure base: responsive support of goal strivings and exploration in adult intimate relationships. J Pers Soc Psychol 87(5): 631-48. • Sheldon, K. M. and L. S. Krieger (2004). Does legal education have under-mining effects on law students? Evaluating changes in motivation, values, and well-being. Behav Sci Law 22(2): 261-86. • Vansteenkiste, M., J. Simons, et al. (2004). Motivating learning, performance, and persistence: the synergistic effects of intrinsic goal contents & autonomy-supportive contexts. J Pers Soc Psychol 87(2): 246-60. • Sheldon, K. M. (2005). Positive value change during college: normative trends and individual differences. J Res Personal 39(2): 209-223. • Grouzet, F. M., T. Kasser, et al. (2005). The structure of goal contents across 15 cultures. J Pers Soc Psychol 89(5): 800-16.

16. social context affects choice! laboratory peer pressure Larson

17. goal focus affects daily well-being encouraging a focus on personally relevant intrinsic goals increases day to day well-being • King, L. A., J. H. Richards, et al. (1998). Daily goals, life goals, and worst fears: means, ends, and subjective well-being. J Personality 66: 713-744. • Sheldon, K. M. & A. J. Elliot (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction, & longitud-inal well-being: the self-concordance model. J Pers Soc Psychol 76(3): 482-97. • Hoppmann, C. A. & P. L. Klumb (2006). Daily goal pursuits predict cortisol secretion and mood states in employed parents with preschool children. Psychosom Med 68(6): 887-94. intrinsic goal focus is promoted by providing explanation, a supportive relationship & choice

18. key points of this talk self-determination theory & well-being • needs • goals • motivations

19. reasons for personal goal choice 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 not at all completely because of this reason because of this reason • you strive for this goal because somebody else wants you to, or the situation seems to compel it. • you strive for this goal because you would feel ashamed, guilty, or anxious if you didn’t. • you strive for this goal because you really feel that it’s an important goal to have. • you strive for this goal because of the enjoyment or stimulation which the goal provides you. Sheldon, K. M. & A. J. Elliot (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: the self-concordance model. J Pers Soc Psychol 76(3): 482-97.

20. motivations & wellbeing “controlled” motivations “autonomous” motivations extrinsic motivations = because someone else wants you to or because the situation seems to compel it introjected motivations = because you would feel ashamed, guilty or anxious if you did not have this goal identified motivations = because you really identify with this goal intrinsic motivations = because of the enjoyment or stimulation this goal provides you encourage wellbeing unrelated to wellbeing for more details on Ken Sheldon’s work see: http://web.missouri.edu/~psycks

21. Gary Larson autonomous motivation encourages well-being with no one looking, Konor would secretly sprinkle on a few sprouts

22. goals, motivations & wellbeing “intrinsic” goals wellbeing wellbeing “autonomous” motivations “controlled” motivations wellbeing wellbeing “extrinsic” goals

23. SDT relevant for many areas SDT highly relevant for education & health care • well-being (34 papers): happiness, well-being, needs, motivation, goals, life course changes. • education (79 papers): for both school & university. • health care (36 papers & books): smoking, alcohol & drug problems, diet, exercise, diabetes (freely down-loadable treatment questionnaires also provided). • other (many papers!): 15 further subject areas that include friendship, parenting, couples, psychotherapy, sport, organizations, and political/ecological action. www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT

24. self-determination & education “it is nothing short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry” Albert Einstein

25. motivation especially important “comparisons between people whose motivation is authentic (literally, self-authored or endorsed) and those who are merely externally controlled ... typically reveal that the former ... have more interest, excitement, & confidence which in turn is manifest both as enhanced performance, persistence, & creativity, and as heightened vitality, self-esteem, & general well-being” Ryan, R. M. and E. L. Deci (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol 55(1): 68-78

26. amotivation extrinsic motivation intrinsic motivation non regulation externalto integrated intrinsic regulation a spectrum of motivations behaviour motivation regulatory style perceived causality regulatory processes non self-determined self-determined impersonal externaltointernal internal non-intentional, non-valuing, incompetent, lack of control interest, enjoyment, inherent satisfaction ranging fromexternal compliancetointernal synthesis

27. extrinsic motivation shifting from external to integrated behaviour motivation regulatory style perceived causality regulatory processes non self-determined self-determined external regulation introjected regulation identified regulation integrated regulation somewhat external somewhat internal external internal compliance, external rewards & punishments personal importance, conscious valuing congruence, awareness, synthesis with self self-control, ego involvement, internal rewards & punishments

28. crucial external to integrated shift • good rationale & clear achievement pathway provided (autonomy & competence) • within a supportive relationship that allows expression of feelings (relatedness) • genuine choice is offered (autonomy) social context encourages this shift when ...

29. key points of this talk self-determination theory & well-being • needs • goals • motivations

30. self-determination theory (SDT) looking at well-being through the lens of self-determination theory www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT • SDT is a general theory of motivation and personality that has evolved over the past three decades • SDT suggests humans, like plants or other animals, intrinsically ‘strive’ for need satisfaction & flourishing • social contexts can support or thwart this need striving with major effects for health & well-being Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, Plenum. Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry 11: 227-268.