THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF ACTUAL AND EXPERIENCED AUTONOMY ON MOTIVATIONIN NURSING-HOME RESIDENTS

Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985a) has recently been appli ed to the motivation behind daily activities in old age (Vallerand & O 'Connor, 1989). According to this theory, a primary determinant of mot ivation is the degree of self-determination in the living environment: actual opportunities for self-determination are assumed to affect the experience of self-determination, which in turn affects motivation. T his prediction was tested among 129 residents from 11 nursing homes. B oth actual opportunities for autonomy and experienced autonomy were as sociated with motivational styles. Furthermore, the effects of the obj ective environment on motivation were mediated by perceptions of the e nvironment. The results provide suggestive support for a causal sequen ce that has proven difficult to establish in previous research.