Ryan and Deci’s 2020 review of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) distinguishes three psychological needs. Autonomy concerns acting with willingness and ownership, including willingly accepting a requirement. Competence concerns feeling effective and able to develop mastery. Relatedness concerns belonging and connection with other people, supported by respect and care; a topic matching someone’s interests is not interpersonal relatedness. SDT proposes that supporting these needs can support motivation. These are psychological experiences, not tests of scientific correctness: feeling competent does not demonstrate comprehension of a claim. The educational review is not a direct test of scientific-review independence from AI.