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Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound

February 27, 2014 by Shannon

Authored by Scott Rigby and Richard Ryan, "Glued to Games" was released in 2011 and brings the first truly balanced review of the psychology of video game motivation and engagement, based on years of research with thousands of gamers. The book addresses both the positive and negative aspects of game play by drawing on significant recent studies and established motivational theory [Self-Determination Theory] to explore the fundamental drivers of engagement, how games satisfy basic psychological needs, and how an understanding of these factors can be applied to controversial topics such as video game violence and game addiction.

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Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Exercise and Sport

February 1, 2014 by Shannon

Published in 2007 by editors, Martin Hagger and Nikos Chatzisarantis,  Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Exercise and Sport is the first book to synthesize key research of this theory as it relates to sport and exercise into one convenient volume. This reference will be a trend setter in the understanding of internal motivation and how...

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Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation

January 1, 2014 by Shannon

Authored by Edward Deci with Richard Flaste. The best way to motivate people—at school, at work, or at home—is to support their sense of autonomy. Explaining the reasons why a task is important and then allowing as much personal freedom as possible in carrying out the task will stimulate interest and commitment, and is a much more effective approach than the standard system of reward and punishment. We are all inherently interested in the world, argues Deci, so why not nurture that interest in each other? Instead of asking, "How can I motivate people?" we should be asking, "How can I create the conditions within which people will motivate themselves?"

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