Member-only story
How Autonomy Supports Your Success
Self-determination theory suggests that people have three key psychological needs in relation to their sense of motivation and well-being:
- Competence: feeling capable and effective
- Relatedness: feeling connected to others
- Autonomy: experiencing freedom and choice in how your life is unfolding
The third construct of autonomy can be impacted in many ways. When we don’t have enough money or time to do the things we want to do each day, it can erode our sense of freedom and choice. Or when we have a domineering boss, we can feel as though we’re simply doing what we’re being asked to do rather than what we feel is the right thing to do.
For university students, a lack of autonomy can be quite common, since they need to follow mandatory schedules and strict deadlines through the year that they have no control over. At certain times of year, they even need to occupy their “free time” with studying for exams that may determine their future careers and lives.
For that reason, new research has focused on assessing what happens when you give university students a stronger sense of autonomy. Since a lack of autonomy often hinders motivation, perhaps offering more choice over learning can boost motivation and consequently educational outcomes.
