Organismic integration theory

A continuum of regulation

The theory describes extrinsic motivation as varying in the degree to which it has been internalized, ranging from behavior that feels controlled to behavior experienced as one's own. Ryan and Connell's work on perceived locus of causality provided an early way to measure these differences.

• External regulation: acting for reward or to avoid punishment
• Introjected regulation: acting from guilt or pride
• Identified regulation: acting because the goal is seen as valuable
• Integrated regulation: the value fits with one's wider sense of self

Conditions for internalization

The theory proposes that internalization is supported when three basic psychological needs are met: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. A teacher or manager who explains the reason for a task and acknowledges a person's perspective is expected to encourage it. Studies in education, health care, and work tend to link more autonomous forms of motivation with persistence and wellbeing.

Evaluation

Evidence for the broad pattern is substantial, but critics have questioned whether the forms of regulation truly lie on a single continuum. Statistical analyses of the scales sometimes give ambiguous results, and integrated regulation has been difficult to separate from identified regulation. Most data are correlational and self-reported. The claim that the basic needs are universal has attracted debate over cultural variation, although cross-cultural studies by researchers in this tradition have offered support.