In this special episode, Matt is joined by the co-developer of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Richard M. Ryan. Think of this episode as a primer on SDT. We hit the basics…

• What is motivation? What is SDT?‎
• ‎What are the origins of SDT?‎
• ‎The different types of motivation.‎
• ‎Rewards and their impact on one’s motivation.‎
• ‎Of course, the famous three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness).‎
• ‎We discuss strategies one may take to either create environments to meet others’ needs or to do it for oneself.‎
• ‎What is well-being? How is well-being related to motivation?‎
• ‎Is SDT universal? Is it culturally descriptive in all cases?‎
• ‎And more!

During our discussion on mindfulness, Rich refers to a recently published meta-analysis.

The reference is:

Donald, James N., Helena Nguyen, James H. Conigrave, Anya Johnson, Inmaculada Adarves-Yorno, Ryan Cheng, Anya Bedi, Kevin B. Lowe, Jessica L. Lyons, Emma K. Devine, Georg B. Tamm and Richard M. Ryan (2025). ‘ Does Leaders’ Mindfulness Benefit Followers? A Meta-analytic Review and Research Agenda.’ British Journal of Management, 11111. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.70009

Matt refers to a 1999 meta-analysis on the impact of rewards. That reference is:

Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627–668. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.6.627

Three references about the cultural generalizability of SDT are:

Chirkov, V., Ryan, R. M., Kim, Y., & Kaplan, U. (2003). Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: A self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 97–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97

Chirkov, V. I. (2009). A cross-cultural analysis of autonomy in education: A self-determination theory perspective. Theory and Research in Education, 7, 253-262. https://doi.org/

Chirkov, V. I. (2017). Culture and autonomy. The Praeger handbook of personality across cultures, 2, 91-119. https://doi.org/

Rich is a clinical psychologist and is currently a Professorial Fellow at the Australian Catholic University’s Institute for Positive Psychology & Education in North Sydney; he’s also Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Rochester, where he helped spark one of the most enduring frameworks of human motivation in the last half-century.

In this episode, we are joined by Jacques Forest, an expert in applying SDT in the work environment. He is the co-author of THE ABC OF WORK MOTIVATION with Anja Van den Broeck, Hermina Van Coillie, and Marcus B. Muller. You can buy the book wherever books are sold. You can also find it here: https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789048562732/the-abc-of-work-motivation. The book is also available in French.

LDA is hosting a free MEET-THE-AUTHOR event on June 25, 2025 with Jacques, Anja, Hermina, and Marcus. It is open to the public and will be recorded for those who cannot make it. Learn more and register here:

https://members.ldaccelerator.com/c/upcoming-free-programs/meet-the-authors-of-the-abcs-of-work-motivation-6565600f-9d96-4dde-b42f-7d57a1182315

We discuss rewards and pay implications, the ROI of using SDT to foster a well-being-focused culture, and several practical tips. We deviate to talk about how fairness regarding money plays a role in how we perceive money motivationally.

Jacques mentions Maarten Vansteenkiste and Bart Soenens from UGent and their work on how needs satisfaction is universal, but not uniform. An example of their work is here:

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/01HTM618TXZ27FFZ8W3NY97KE7.

Jacques references our friend, Marylene Gagne, whom we interviewed in an early episode of this podcast.

Jacques references a meta-analysis co-authored by Anya Van den Broeck about well-being. That article can be found here:

Van den Broeck, A., Howard, J. L., Van Vaerenbergh, Y., Leroy, H., & Gagné, M. (2021). Beyond intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: A meta-analysis on self-determination theory’s multidimensional conceptualization of work motivation. Organizational Psychology Review, 11(3), 240-273. https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866211006173 (Original work published 2021)

Anya also co-authored an excellent and related article with Maarten Vansteenkiste and others. You can find that here:

Van den Broeck, Anja & Vansteenkiste, Maarten & De Witte, Hans & Lens, Willy. (2008). Explaining the relationships between job characteristics, burnout, and engagement: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction. Work & Stress. 22. 277-294. 10.1080/02678370802393672.

Jacques is an Organizational Psychologist and Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP, Distinction Fellow) Full professor in the Department of Organization and Human Resources at UQAM Business School, Jacques Forest is a master in the art of building bridges between science and practice. His research focuses on self-determination theory (SDT) and the motivational factors needed to reconcile performance and well-being in a sustainable way.

You can find Jacques at UQAM (https://professeurs.uqam.ca/professeur/forest.jacques/) or linkedin: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquesforest/)

Throughout the year, SDT's Richard Ryan joins us for a short, targeted conversation about a specific topic within the realm of SDT.

In this episode, Rich explores the topic of healthcare. He explains some of the nuance associated with why we may or may not take care of ourselves (we know exercise is good for us, but don't do it), or why doctors and healthcare providers don't always succeed in supporting their patients adhering to given advice. He suggests we advocate for ourselves by developing better relationships with our providers. He also urges those same providers to take more time listening and connecting with us.

Rich Ryan is a professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at the Australian Catholic University and a research professor at the University of Rochester. He lectures frequently in the United States and abroad on Self-Determination Theory and the factors that promote motivation and healthy psychological and behavioral functioning. He is also a co-founder of Immersyve, Inc., a motivational consulting company in Orlando, FL.