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Causality orientations, autonomy-support, and self-control : effects on basic psychological needs satisfaction, and ego-depletion
Author
Lim, Coral Boon San
Supervisor
Wang, John Chee Keng
Abstract
Self-determination theory (SDT) purports that the satisfaction of one’s innate needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness engenders positive outcomes. Autonomy-support is provided when individuals’ feelings are acknowledged, meaningful rationales are provided and/or choice is conveyed. Notwithstanding the importance of autonomy-supportive contexts, causality orientations predispose how one interprets cues from one’s environment. In autonomy-supportive contexts where one’s needs are satisfied, one is said to be autonomously self-regulating. This is to be distinguished from controlled regulation which is characterised by behaviours that are not fully endorsed by one’s integrated self, and which has been likened to what is sometimes called self-control. Successful self-control means the ability to forego an immediate gratification for a greater and delayed one. This ability is defined by the strength model of self-control, to be limited. Consequently, each act of self-control will deplete the limited resources, resulting in ego-depletion, and make subsequent acts of self-control challenging.
Essentially, both self-determination and self-control are important to optimal human functioning. SDT encouraged the satisfaction of basic psychological needs in order to foster greater self-determined forms of motivation. Self-control directed attention to the control of oneself in order to be harmonious with, and function effectively in one’s environment. This thesis is premised on these two theories and seeks to examine how one’s personality traits predisposes one to the interpretation of one’s environment, and how variables like perceive autonomy-support, are related to needs satisfaction, self-control, well-being, and other desirable outcomes in life. The thesis began with a self-report study that examined how basic psychological/intrinsic need satisfaction in physical education (PE) was predicted from both the autonomy causality orientation, and the perception of autonomy-support, and how the satisfaction of intrinsic needs in turn, predicted forms of cognitive strategies, persistence in behaviour, and affect. In an attempt to further the body of knowledge in the realm of SDT and self-control literature, three experimental studies that went beyond the domain of the PE context were conducted.
Study 1 reiterated the importance of considering both individual differences and contextual autonomy-support in predicting psychological need satisfaction. It also provided evidence that the satisfaction of psychological needs positively predicted psychological flexibility and negatively predicted thought suppression. Studies 2 to 4 built on evidence from Study 1 and examined how causality orientations and perceptions of autonomy-support could be related to ego-depletion. In neutral contexts, an autonomy-orientation protected one from the debilitating effects of ego-depletion. Nonetheless, the same could not be said when contextual autonomy was manipulated. Autonomous conditions proved to be non ego-depleting but the examination of the individual factors of autonomy-support returned results that were shy of statistical significance. Attempts to explain the relations between experimental conditions and ego-depletion via the indirect effects of vitality and/or perceived autonomy-support proved futile, highlighting greater consideration for the selection of experimental task, the questions used to assess the mediators, and other possible mechanisms that would explain the relations. A general discussion that included the methodological, theoretical, and implied contributions of the thesis, and the limitations and recommendations for future research concluded the thesis.
Essentially, both self-determination and self-control are important to optimal human functioning. SDT encouraged the satisfaction of basic psychological needs in order to foster greater self-determined forms of motivation. Self-control directed attention to the control of oneself in order to be harmonious with, and function effectively in one’s environment. This thesis is premised on these two theories and seeks to examine how one’s personality traits predisposes one to the interpretation of one’s environment, and how variables like perceive autonomy-support, are related to needs satisfaction, self-control, well-being, and other desirable outcomes in life. The thesis began with a self-report study that examined how basic psychological/intrinsic need satisfaction in physical education (PE) was predicted from both the autonomy causality orientation, and the perception of autonomy-support, and how the satisfaction of intrinsic needs in turn, predicted forms of cognitive strategies, persistence in behaviour, and affect. In an attempt to further the body of knowledge in the realm of SDT and self-control literature, three experimental studies that went beyond the domain of the PE context were conducted.
Study 1 reiterated the importance of considering both individual differences and contextual autonomy-support in predicting psychological need satisfaction. It also provided evidence that the satisfaction of psychological needs positively predicted psychological flexibility and negatively predicted thought suppression. Studies 2 to 4 built on evidence from Study 1 and examined how causality orientations and perceptions of autonomy-support could be related to ego-depletion. In neutral contexts, an autonomy-orientation protected one from the debilitating effects of ego-depletion. Nonetheless, the same could not be said when contextual autonomy was manipulated. Autonomous conditions proved to be non ego-depleting but the examination of the individual factors of autonomy-support returned results that were shy of statistical significance. Attempts to explain the relations between experimental conditions and ego-depletion via the indirect effects of vitality and/or perceived autonomy-support proved futile, highlighting greater consideration for the selection of experimental task, the questions used to assess the mediators, and other possible mechanisms that would explain the relations. A general discussion that included the methodological, theoretical, and implied contributions of the thesis, and the limitations and recommendations for future research concluded the thesis.
Date Issued
2013
Call Number
BF575.A88 Lim
Date Submitted
2013