HUFFINGTON POST: Who Is Driving Your Health and Wellness?July 7, 2010 by Walter
July 7th 2010
As a student of how people change, I think often about an interesting conundrum, particularly as it relates to people choosing to be or not to be in the driver’s seat, living a life that supports health and well-being.
Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, professors at the University of Rochester and developers of Self-Determination Theory, the most respected theory of human motivation, have shown that thriving results from satisfying three motivational drives: the desire to be autonomous: to make choices that are true to one’s core, not imposed by others or one’s inner critic; to be competent: using one’s strengths and becoming skilled in life tasks; and to be connected: doing things that support others. These core drives are alive in us when it comes to taking good care of our mental and physical health, but for many people they seem to get buried and hidden from light.
Read the full story at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-moore/dont-let-others-control-y_b_635626.html?view=print
By Margaret Moore
CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE: What Drives Us? Rochester Model of Human Motivation Attracts Growing AffirmationJune 30, 2010 by Walter
June 30th 2010. In 1985, with the publication of Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior, University of Rochester psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci launched a new theory for understanding what drives humans. Their model maintained that people are motivated by innate psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness to others – not, as the reigning theories of the day espoused, by inherited instincts or learned responses. In May, as their Self-Determination Theory observed its quarter century mark with a scientific conference in Ghent, Belgium, it was clear that the Rochester psychological framework is thriving. The four-day conference attracted 128 papers and 276 posters presented by 550 researchers from almost every country in Europe, plus the United States, Canada, China, Russia, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Jordan, Iran, South Africa, Peru, and Colombia. Application of SDT, as the theory is referred to in the field, included research on everything from well-being and vitality to work management, exercise, health care, relationships, sustainability, religion, nutrition, gaming, parenting and more. Experimental methodology spanned the spectrum, from classic behavioral studies to biological investigations based on brain imaging. “The beauty of the theory is that it has proven so useful in so many different fields,” says Deci, professor of psychology and Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences. “And it has encouraged lots of cross-cultural analysis to see if these principles hold true in different cultural contexts.”
Read the full story at:
http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3649
At University of Rochester
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN: Nature Boosts Self-Evaluation of VitalityJune 8, 2010 by Walter
June 8th 2010.
It’s refreshing. It’s invigorating. And it leaves you feeling truly alive. No, I’m not talking about a cold shower or a fruit smoothie with a mochachino chaser. I’m talking about nature. Because according to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, getting outside—or even just thinking about it—can increase your vitality. Hiking, biking or walking in the woods can be revitalizing. But why? Is there something special about the great outdoors that recharges our batteries? Or is it that enjoying nature often involves physical activity and, unless you’re Henry David Thoreau, interacting with others?
NOW AVAILABLE: Photos from the 4th International SDT ConferenceMay 10, 2010 by Walter
May 15th 2010.
4th International SDT Conference held in Ghent University in Belgium
In May, Self-Determination Theory held its 4th international scientific conference in Ghent, Belgium. It was clear that the SDT psychological framework is thriving. The four-day conference attracted 128 papers and 276 posters presented by 550 researchers from almost every country in Europe, plus the United States, Canada, China, Russia, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Jordan, Iran, South Africa, Peru, and Colombia. This event was a wonderful, unforgettable experience thanks to participation of so many people and to the amazing conference organizers.
PHOTOS NOW POSTED: We have uploaded a collection of pictures from the conference.
SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER: Motivating Employees in the 21st CenturyApril 5, 2010 by Walter
April 5th 2010.
Forget all the things you may currently believe about motivating employees. Cash incentives to stimulate productivity may work in the short term, but are ultimately not sustainable. Threats are also short lived because employee resentment brings about ill will and this is counterproductive in the long run.
Such carrot and stick approaches for improving performance simply are no longer effective and it’s time organizations move to a more radical approach.
In Daniel Pink’s insightful book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” he explores the question of what motivates people to do innovative work. Based on more than thirty years of research in behavioral science, he provides compelling evidence showing that monetary rewards can actually hinder creativity.
And as Pink relates in his speech at the TED Conference, when it comes to motivation, there is a huge gap between what science knows and what companies do.
Today, many companies more closely track knowledge workers hours at their desks rather than results produced. And, as I wrote about in a previous post, Results Only Work Environment or ROWE is one way to change this mentality.
Author Pink convincingly argues that once our basic need for financial stability is taken care of, the desire for intrinsic motivation kicks in. Intrinsic motivation is founded upon personal rewards (individual interest or love) rather than extrinsic motivation (money). In fact, many scientific studies have demonstrated that people actually become less motivated when money is tied to doing something we are already drawn to doing. It actually devalues it for us!
Further, Pink suggests it is necessary for both employees and employers to break free of this old “if-then” paradigm and replace it with “now-that” instead. Rather than hold out some reward or punishment in order to accomplish a goal, there should be an opportunity to tap into an employee’s own individual interest in meeting the goal.
“If tangible rewards are given unexpectedly to people after they have finished a task, the rewards are less likely to be detrimental to intrinsic motivation,” said Edward L. Deci, the University of Rochester psychology professor and author of “Intrinsic Motivation.”
WALL STREET JOURNAL: More Than a Paycheck Workers are more efficient, loyal and creative when they feel a sense of purpose—when work has meaningFebruary 5, 2010 by Walter
February 5th 2010.
“The science that Mr. Pink is referring to rests largely on the work of Edward Deci and Richard Ryan at the University of Rochester and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi at Claremont Graduate University. These three researchers have found that we do our best work when motivated from within, when we have control over our time and decisions and when we feel a deep sense of purpose. Under such conditions, we can achieve real mastery over whatever it is that we do.”
EVENT: Motivation in Education Research LaboratoryJanuary 19, 2010 by Walter
January 19th 2010.
Motivation in Education Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Education in Singapore held it’s inaugural seminar on motivation in education on January 19th with invited talks from Rich Ryan and Ed Deci on ‘Nurturing the Active Learner.’
RESEARCH STUDY: ‘Weekend Effect’ Makes People Happier Regardless of Their Job, Study SaysJanuary 12, 2010 by Walter
January 12th 2010.
“From construction laborers and secretaries to physicians and lawyers, people experience better moods, greater vitality, and fewer aches and pains from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, concludes the first study of daily mood variation in employed adults to be published in the January 2010 issue of the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. And that ‘weekend effect’ is largely associated with the freedom to choose one’s activities and the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, the research found.
“Workers, even those with interesting, high status jobs, really are happier on the weekend,” says author Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. “Our findings highlight just how important free time is to an individual’s well-being,” Ryan adds. “Far from frivolous, the relatively unfettered time on weekends provides critical opportunities for bonding with others, exploring interests and relaxing — basic psychological needs that people should be careful not to crowd out with overwork,” Ryan cautions.”
Click here for the full article: http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3525
By the University of Rochester
RESEARCH STUDY: “Nature Makes Us More Caring”September 30, 2009 by Walter
September 30th 2009.
Paying attention to the natural world not only makes you feel better, it makes you behave better, finds a new study to be published October 1 in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
“Stopping to experience our natural surroundings can have social as well as personal benefits,” says Richard Ryan, coauthor and professor of psychology, psychiatry and education at the University of Rochester. While the salubrious effects of nature are well documented, from increasing happiness and physical health to lowering stress, this study shows that the benefits extend to a person’s values and actions. Exposure to natural as opposed to man-made environments leads people to value community and close relationships and to be more generous with money, find Ryan and his team of researchers at the University of Rochester. The paper includes four experiments in which 370 participants were exposed to either natural or man-made settings. Participants were encouraged to attend to their environments by noticing colors and textures and imagining sounds and smells. In three of the studies, participants were shown a selection of four images on a 19 inch computer screen for two minutes each. Half of the subject viewed buildings, roads, and other cityscapes; the other half observed landscapes, lakes, and deserts. The urban and nature images were matched for color, complexity, layout, and lighting. In a fourth study, participants were simply assigned at random to work in a lab with or without plants. Participants then answered a questionnaire assessing the importance of four life aspirations: wealth and fame (“to be financially successful” and “to be admired by many people”) and connectedness and community (“to have deep enduring relationships” and “to work toward the betterment of society”). Across all four studies, people exposed to natural elements rated close relationships and community higher than they had previously. The questionnaire also measured how immersed viewers were in their environments and found that the more deeply engaged subjects were with natural settings, the more they valued community and closeness. By contrast, the more intensely participants focused on artificial elements, the higher they rated wealth and fame. To test generosity, two of the studies gave participants a $5 prize with the instructions that the money could be kept or given to a second anonymous participant, who would then be given an additional $5. The second participant could choose to return the prize money or keep it. Thus, subjects had nothing to gain if they chose to trust the other participant, and risked losing their money. The result? People who were in contact with nature were more willing to open their wallets and share. As with aspirations, the higher the immersion in nature, the more likely subjects were to be generous with their winnings. Why should nature make us more charitable and concerned about others? One answer, says coauthor Andrew Przybylski, is that nature helps to connect people to their authentic selves. For example, study participants who focused on landscapes and plants reported a greater sense of personal autonomy (“Right now, I feel like I can be myself”). For humans, says Przybylski, our authentic selves are inherently communal because humans evolved in hunter and gatherer societies that depended on mutuality for survival. In addition, write the authors, the richness and complexity of natural environments may encourage introspection and the lack of man-made structures provide a safe haven from the man-made pressures of society. “Nature in a way strips away the artifices of society that alienate us from one another,” says Przybylski. Lead author Netta Weinstein says that the findings highlight the importance of creating green spaces in cities and have implication for planners and architects. Incorporating parks and other representations of nature into urban environments may help build a stronger sense of community among residents, she explains. By contrast, “to the extent that our links with nature are disrupted, we may also lose some connection with each other,” the authors warn. This alienation may help explain other research showing that urban as compared to rural dwellers show more reservation, indifference, and estrangement from others. On a personal level, Weinstein says the take home message from the research is clear: “We are influenced by our environment in ways that we are not aware of,” she says. Because of the hidden benefits of connecting with nature, people should take advantage of opportunities to get away from built environments and, when inside, they should surround themselves with plants, natural objects, and images of the natural world. “The more you appreciate nature, the more you can benefit,” she says.
