FACILITATING INTERNALIZATION - THE SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY PERSPECTIVE

Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) posits that (a) people a re inherently motivated to internalize the regulation of uninteresting though important activities; (b) there are two different processes th rough which such internalization can occur, resulting in qualitatively different styles of self-regulation; and (c) the social context influ ences which internalization process and regulatory style occur. The tw o types of internalization are introjection, which entails taking in a value or regulatory process but not accepting it as one's own, and in tegration, through which the regulation is assimilated with one's core sense of self. Introjection results in internally controlling regulat ion, whereas integration results in self-determination. An experiment supported our hypothesis that three facilitating contextual factors-na mely, providing a meaningful rationale, acknowledging the behaver's fe elings, and conveying choice-promote internalization, as evidenced by the subsequent self-regulation of behavior. This experiment also suppo rted our expectation that when the social context supports self-determ ination, integration tends to occur, whereas when the context does not support self-determination, introjection tends to occur.