SDT Faculty Win 2014 ISSI Best Paper Award

February 20, 2015 by Shannon

February 28th 2014.   Self-Determination Theory faculty Nikos Ntoumanis and Joan Duda have been awarded the 2014 International Society for Self and Identity (ISSI) Best Paper Award for their work, “Self-Regulatory Responses to Unattainable Goals: The Role of Goal Motives”, published in the 2014 volume of Self and Identity. The award was given out at this years Society for...

Continue Reading

Gamasutra: Designing Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system

February 4, 2015 by Shannon

February 4th 2015. This Gamasutra article explores how Warner Bros. Games’ studio Monolith designed the Nemesis gaming system of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) concepts.    What made this game distinctive from other games was the Nemesis system and its ability to enable narrative and a player-driven story supportive of the basic psychological needs, which...

Continue Reading

Huffington Post: People Leave Bad Bosses, Not Companies: Here’s Why

January 14, 2015 by Shannon

January 14th 2014. Self-Determination Theory faculty Dr. Adam Grant cited in Huffington Post blog on workplace satisfaction. “People work so hard, yet so often they never get to meet the people directly impacted by their work. Companies need to place more emphasis on “end user” connection because the research in this area is nothing short...

Continue Reading

NJ.com: Outdoor ‘green’ can fight the blues

January 11, 2015 by Shannon

January 11th 2014. A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology in 2010 showed that spending even just 20 minutes a day in fresh air boosts vitality that is, having both physical and mental energy. “Research has shown that people with a greater sense of vitality don’t just have more energy for things they...

Continue Reading

Call for Self-Determination Theory Faculty

January 1, 2015 by Shannon

January 1st 2015. Call for Self-Determination Theory Faculty We are now accepting nominations for the SDT Faculty webpage.  If you, or someone you know, is working and generating research within the SDT tradition and hold(s) a PhD, please email the following information to: info@selfdeterminationtheory.org Name of candidate (self nominations are strongly encouraged); Contact information; University/organization affiliation; and Reference list...

Continue Reading

Dutch Medical Education Association Awards Best Thesis to SDT Faculty

December 12, 2014 by Shannon

One of SDT’s faculty, Dr. Rashmi Kusurkar, was recently awarded the “Best Thesis Prize 2014” by the Dutch Medical Education Association (NVMO).  Her thesis, entitled “Motivation in Medical Students,” examines medical students’ motivation, in particular the importance of quality of motivation and the factors influencing their motivation.  This prize is awarded every two years by...

Continue Reading

Fast Company: How to turn your Monday into a day you actually enjoy

September 25, 2014 by Shannon

September 25th 2014.   Studies have found that having weekends to relax not only makes us happier, but healthier, too: Far from frivolous, the relatively unfettered time on weekends provides critical opportunities for bonding with others, exploring interests and relaxing—basic psychological needs. -Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester One study on why...

Continue Reading

Lifehacker.com: The Complex Relationship Between Happiness and Motivation

August 18, 2014 by Shannon

August 18th 2014.  Scientists Richard M. Ryan from the University of Rochester and Christina Frederick from the University of Southern Utah have taken an extensive look at the concept of subjective vitality as a reflection of well-being. Ryan and Frederick argue that subjective vitality is enhanced when the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are...

Continue Reading