Transcending carrots and sticks: a review of self-determination theory.

You will notice two things right away if you watch the TEDx talk given by Dr. Edward Deci on YouTube (http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=VGrcetsOE6I). Eirst, he is unabashedly passionate about the topic of motivation. "I LOVE motivation," he says, his voice charged with excitement. Second, you will recognize that he is a masterful teacher. Just as I learned during my coursework in adult learning, he drives home concepts by giving great examples, both in support of, and in opposition to, the ideas he wants you to absorb. "Don't ask how you can motivate other people," Deci exhorts. "That's the wrong question!" As you will learn from my in-depth interview with the codeveloper of self-determination theory (SDT), he has dedicated his career to showing how you can help create the conditions that support self-motivation. "Every place I look I see motivation, or lack thereof," Deci notes blithely in his TED talk. It's a noteworthy comment given how his research cuts to the core of where the kind of motivation that can sustain healthy behaviors does and does not reside. During a time when it is not uncommon for sponsors of Wellness programs to bemoan a lack of motivation by those who could benefit from their offerings, Deci teaches us that looking for more motivation is much less useful than assessing the "quality of motivation." More to the point, Deci's research shows how motivation that comes from within is far more predictive of positive health outcomes than what can be garnered from carrots or sticks.