- Assumes that external controls involving reward and punishment undermine learning 
- Research has found that when teachers allow more autonomy and exert less control and pressure, learning will result from more intrinsic motivation to demonstrate competence and achieve self-esteem 
- Controlled motivation may lead to undesirable outcomes such as maladaptive coping, ill-being, and even psychopathology 

Syracuse University

Self-Determination theory maintains that learning succeeds when brought about my intrinsic motivation rather than controlled, and that extrinsic reward motivation cannot bring about effective learning 
- SDT has significantly guided educational policy and research 

What is SDT? (CSDT)

Luria, E., Shalom, M., &amp; Levy, D. A. (2020). Cognitive neuroscience perspectives on motivation and learning: Revisiting self‐determination theory. Mind, Brain, and Education, 15(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12275 

Cognitive Neuroscience Perspectives on Motivation and Learning: Revisiting Self-Determination Theory

There are 3 types of motivational stages: amotivation, autonomous motivation, and controlled motivation 
- At the top of the hierarchy is intrinsic motivation: when behavior is performed voluntarily as a result of personal interest and importance 

Types of Motivational Stages (CSDT)

SDT and Learning (CSDT)

Researchers question the theoretical background and empirical evidence of SDT concerning rewards,behavior, and intrinsic motivation 
- Find contradicting results and conclude that negative effects of rewards or controlled motivations are limited, and that rewards can in certain situations function as strong catalysts of motivation 
- When studying SDT, researchers have given subjects unfamiliar and novel asks with relatively intrinsically motivated participants who perform tasks on a single occasion, which is very different from the classroom reality 
- In the classroom, the tasks and topics are often repeated, and many times considered boring, meanin gintrinsic motivation would seem to fail under such conditions according to SDT 

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