Autonomous Motivation Research Articles

Exploring physical activity preferences and motivation in long-term cardiac prevention: An Austrian cross-sectional survey.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients often do not sustain physical activity (PA) behaviour in the long run, once they progress into a self-management stage of secondary prevention. This study aimed to explore former CR patients' PA preferences, determinants (i.e., influencing factors) and motivation for sustained PA engagement. We conducted a cross-sectional multi-centre survey using an original questionnaire based on prior qualitative interviews with cardiac patients. Five CR centres in Austria posted 500 questionnaires to former CR patients who had completed CR approximately three years prior, and 117 patients (23%) responded. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse closed-ended questions, and self-determination theory (SDT) was applied as a qualitative framework to analyse open-ended questions concerning motivation for PA engagement. Patients were generally physically active, but the majority (75.3%) did not fulfil the World Health Organisation's recommendations for aerobic PA and muscle strengthening. Most patients preferred being physically active outdoors (70%), engaging in aerobic-related (95%), individual and non-competitive exercises, with cycling (52%), walking (32%) and hiking (25%) among the most popular activities. Main determinants of PA were health, pain and motivation for 80%, 68%, 67% of patients, respectively. A subset of patients (77%) expanded on their motivations behind PA. According to SDT, most reasons (90%) were regulated by autonomous motivation (either extrinsically autonomously-regulated or intrinsic motivation) and stemmed mostly from health-related goals (e.g., fitness, general health, weight control), future quality-of-life aspirations (e.g., self-sufficiency in old age, presence for loved ones, preserving mobility) and enjoyment of PA. Patients' responses underscore the importance of promoting not only general PA, but also muscle strengthening training in CR interventions to maximise optimal health benefits. Our data further suggest that interventions which are aligned to patients' health goals and foster autonomous motivation may be particularly beneficial in increasing adherence to PA in the long-term.

Measurement of the self-determination continuum of motivation for engaging in alcohol-related harm reduction behaviors: Improved content coverage of the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire.

Self-determination theory (SDT) proposes that people are more likely to engage in behaviors that reduce the harms associated with alcohol use if they do so for more self-determined reasons. There is growing support for this proposal, but the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ), which assesses the self-determination continuum of motivation for engaging in alcohol-related harm reduction behaviors, lacks content coverage. We generated additional items to improve the content coverage of the TSRQ and evaluated its psychometric properties. We also compared two randomly assigned instruction sets that referenced "responsible drinking" or "protective behavioral strategies" (PBS). Participants (n = 2,236) were college students from psychology departments at 10 universities in eight U.S. states who reported past-month alcohol use and completed the revised TSRQ; the online survey was completed for partial course credit. Exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure representing autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and amotivation for the PBS version. This factor structure was confirmed using exploratory structural equation modeling for both the PBS and responsible drinking versions. Scalar invariance was achieved across instruction sets. Latent mean differences showed that those who received the PBS version had lower autonomous and controlled motivation scores, but higher amotivation scores. Associations of the three TSRQ factors with alcohol-related outcomes were consistent with SDT, and the magnitude of these associations did not differ across instruction sets. More accurate assessment of the self-determination continuum of motivation for alcohol-related harm reduction behaviors will improve research on this topic which has promising implications for alcohol interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring autonomous and controlled motivations for nature contact to maximise health benefits

Abstract Increasing evidence indicates contact with nature supports mental, physical and social health. However, beyond a widely reported number of barriers to nature contact, the constellation of motivations for human contact with nature is under‐theorised and under‐studied. We begin to develop indicators of autonomous and controlled motivations for nature contact informed by self‐determination theory. These include intrinsic motivation (i.e. enjoyment), integrated regulation (alignment with identify and life goals), identified regulation (a means to an end), introjected regulation (emotional reasons like guilt avoidance) and external regulation (such as peer pressure). We compare these motivation indices in a nationally representative sample of 5082 adults in Australia in 2022 with the Nature Relatedness Scale (NR6), and also test associations between them and five outcomes: time spent in nature, smartphone use in nature, interest in nature prescriptions, physical activity and self‐rated health. Statistical analyses were adjusted for potential confounding. Results demonstrate people have complex mixtures of motivations with varying potency for visiting natural settings and the extent to which those motives are autonomous or controlled matters for what they do, and the benefits accrued. For example, our analyses show that more direct considerations of intrinsic, integrated and identified forms of autonomous motivation have superior explanatory power than the NR6 for time spent in nature, interest in nature prescriptions, adherence to physical activity recommendations and self‐rated health. External regulations emphasising peer approval were associated not only with no additional time in nature but also with more distractive activities when in natural environments, as defined by more smartphone and social media use while there. While introjected regulations emphasising guilt avoidance were associated with increased nature contact, they were similarly associated with time spent on smartphones and social media when in natural environments, which has been shown to undermine restoration. Synthesis and applications: We need to formally measure autonomous and controlled motivations for nature contact to better understand both why some people visit natural environments, and whether they are mindfully maximising the health benefits of those experiences. This will help to inform robust nature‐based interventions that are acceptable, effective and sustainable for everyone. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Motivation to regulate eating behaviors, intuitive eating, and well-being: A dyadic study with mothers and adult daughters

Intuitive eating, defined as relying on physiological cues to determine when, what, and how much to eat while maintaining a positive relationship with food (Tribole & Resch, 1995), has gained a lot of research attention in the last two decades. The present study sought to determine how motivation for regulating eating behaviors is related to intuitive eating and well-being outcomes in dyads of mothers and their adult daughters (n = 214). Structural equation modelling revealed that controlling for dieting and desire to lose weight, both mothers' and daughters' autonomous motivation was positively associated with their own intuitive eating while their controlled motivation was negatively associated with intuitive eating. In turn, intuitive eating was positively associated with well-being in both mothers and daughters. Interestingly, mothers' intuitive eating was also positively related to their daughters' well-being. The analysis of indirect effects suggests that mothers' motivation to regulate eating behaviors has an indirect (mediating) relationship with daughters' well-being through mothers' intuitive eating. The implications for women's health and well-being are discussed.

Believing in the power of belief: a study on the formation mechanism of innovative behavior from the perspectives of intrinsic and extrinsic spiritual inspiration

PurposeThis study reveals the trigger of innovative behavior from the perspective of intrinsic and extrinsic spiritual inspiration and provides a new research idea for the formation mechanism of innovative behavior. The purpose of this study is to provide certain guidance and implications for enterprises to cultivate and enhance employees’ innovative behavior.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted three studies, collected multi-source data (N = 1,175) from different countries longitudinally, as well as used hierarchical regression analysis and fuzzy-set quantitative comparative analysis to verify the theoretical model.FindingsAccording to the findings, both spiritual leadership and career calling have a positive impact on employees’ innovative behavior through the mediating effect of autonomous motivation and the moderating effect of person-vocation fit.Originality/valueInnovative behavior is the positive professional pursuit of employees, which is difficult to form without the motivation of spiritual factors. Spirituality is a complex concept that contains intrinsic and extrinsic spiritual factors, both of which could stimulate employees’ innovative behavior. Although many discussions have been held on this topic in recent years, little attention has been paid simultaneously to the motivating effects of the two perspectives. Drawn from self-determination theory, this study explores the mechanisms of two spiritual motivation paths (i.e. the intrinsic and extrinsic spiritual motivation paths) in the improvement of employees’ innovative behavior.

Bringing Self-Determination Theory to the Forefront: Examining How Human Resource Practices Motivate Employees of All Ages to Succeed

AbstractSelf-determination theory (SDT) is widely used in human resource (HR) practice studies to explain how HR practices impact work outcomes. However, there is little empirical evidence establishing the complete SDT mediational process in the HR domain, which entails basic psychological needs and motivation acting as mediators of relations between HR practices and work outcomes. The present study addresses this issue with a mixed methods approach. Using an item classification task with subject matter experts (N = 48), HR practices were classified as autonomy-, competence-, and relatedness-supportive. Based on this scheme, we tested an SDT-based conceptual model in a three-wave sample of working adults (N = 818). Results from Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM) support the hypothesized model: basic psychological need satisfaction and autonomous motivation mediate the relationship between HR practice perceptions and work outcomes (performance, thriving, affective organizational commitment, and turnover intentions). Autonomy-supportive practices had a positive effect on autonomy need satisfaction, while competence-supportive practices had positive associations with all three basic psychological needs. Counterintuitively, relatedness-supportive practices had negative effects on autonomy and competence need satisfaction, and the relationship between relatedness-supportive practices and autonomy need satisfaction was moderated by chronological age. We discuss our findings in the context of prominent HR studies that utilize SDT and offer a supplemental age-inclusive HR practice scheme for HR managers interested in understanding the benefits of supporting basic psychological needs from both a motivation and workforce retention standpoint.

Predicting vaccination hesitancy: The role of basic needs satisfaction and institutional trust

Autonomous motivation is considered a powerful driver of health behaviour, but less is known about the specific roles played by basic needs. Drawing on the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research examined basic needs as a motivational determinant of vaccination. We hypothesized that satisfaction of basic needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) has both a direct and an indirect effect (through trust in science and government) on vaccine hesitancy. Two studies (Study 1: N = 968 French and British; Study 2, pre-registered: N = 716 Americans) tested our hypotheses and compared vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals using multigroup structural equation models. We found positive direct (in both studies) and indirect (in Study 1) effects of autonomy satisfaction on vaccine acceptance. In contrast, competence satisfaction was directly and indirectly, via science mistrust, related to vaccine hesitancy, particularly among non-vaccinated people. Competence satisfaction also indirectly reduced the intention to vaccinate in both studies. We found no impact of relatedness. Complementing previous work on self-determination theory, our research demonstrates the importance of considering the distinct roles of basic needs. Moreover, we highlight that increasing autonomy and science trust may be an efficient strategy to improve vaccine acceptance and vaccination, even among reluctant individuals.

Overqualification perception and employee voice: Mediation by dual path autonomous and controlled motivation

Drawing on person–vocation fit and self-determination theory, we explored the role of the autonomous and controlled motivation in the relationship between overqualification perception and employee voice. The sample consisted of 251 employees from different enterprises in China (female = 52.6%; mean age = 29.74 years, SD = 7.28 years; bachelor’s degree or above = 84.9%). Path analysis and bootstrap tests were conducted to test all hypotheses simultaneously. Employees with perceived overqualification will inhibit autonomous motivation and stimulate controlled motivation, and the mediating effect of these two motivations together reduces their voice behaviour. The findings increase our understanding of ways to enhance employees work enthusiasm by using diversified incentive strategies to accurately touch different motivations of employees.

The impact of creativity on creative performance among university students in higher vocational education in China: The mediating role of autonomous motivation

The impact of creativity on creative performance among university students in higher vocational education in China: The mediating role of autonomous motivation

WEBSITES IN VASCULAR HEALTH: A TOOL FOR WHOM? USER CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTIVATIONS

Objective: Limited data is available to describe the characteristics and motivations of users of health websites. Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) proposed three categories of motivation: 1) autonomous motivation: engaging in a behavior because it is perceived to be consistent with intrinsic and meaningful goals, 2) controlled motivation: engaging in a behavior for reward, or trying to avoid feelings of guilt, and 3) amotivation: lack of autonomous and controlled motivation. The aim of this study is to profile users and described the motivations behind using a health website. Design and method: In this multicenter study, participants had to be 18 years and older, concerned by a vascular health condition, and skilled to use digital tools. They were approached by collaborating physicians (n=30) during routine consultations or through social networks. An anonymous, validated electronic questionnaire assessed socio-demographic variables, digital competence, and motivations for using a health website. Results: 137 participants, mean age of 65.25 (± 11.78 years, 52.5% female) were recruited. The most prevalent diagnoses among participants were hypertension (48.70%) and diabetes (31.40%). The group aged 64 and below self-evaluated with better digital competence (8.97 ± 2.76) compared to the 65-74 age group (7.5 ± 2.70) and the 75 years and older group (6.41 ± 3.25) (p < 0.01). The difference between the women's and men's group did not reach statistical significance. Regarding motivation to consult a health website, the group aged 64 and below shows higher autonomous motivation (5.53± 0.16) than the 65-74 age group (5.33 ± 0.11) and the 75 years and older group (5.40 ± 0.38) (p < 0.01). Autonomous motivation was higher in the women's group (5.48 ± 0.13) than in the men's group (5.39 ± 0.32) (p < 0.05). Inversely, controlled motivation (2.94 ± 0.58) and amotivation (3.61 ± 0.33), was higher in men's group than in women's group (2.54 ± 0.55 and 3.30 ± 0.40) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Motivations to use a health website vary according to gender and age. This study may contribute to a more tailored to users and guide the development and dissemination of health websites.

Verification of the Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Version of the Novelty Need Satisfaction Scale in Physical Education.

This study aims to validate the Chinese version of the Novelty Need Satisfaction Scale (NNSS) within physical education (PE) contexts, incorporating three distinct studies to examine its reliability, validity, and measurement invariance across gender and different samples. Study 1 involved translating the original NNSS into Chinese and evaluating it through confirmatory factor analysis, item analysis, and assessments of internal consistency reliability among 390 students (53.8% male, 46.2% female), averaging 14.5 years in age. Study 2 assessed the discriminant validity of the Chinese NNSS by exploring correlations between novelty need satisfaction and three conventional basic psychological needs (BPNs) - autonomy, competence, and relatedness, in a larger cohort of 845 students (51.7% male, 48.3% female), with an average age of 14.8 years. This study also investigated the relationships between novelty need satisfaction, autonomous motivation, and enjoyment in PE. Study 3 examined the measurement invariance of the Chinese NNSS across gender and different samples, using a sample of 1235 students (52.6% male, 47.4% female), with an average age of 14.6 years. The one-factor, five-item structure of the Chinese NNSS was confirmed in Study 1. Study 2 demonstrated the distinct yet covariant nature of novelty need satisfaction among BPNs and its predictive capability for enjoyment in PE through autonomous motivation. Study 3 confirmed the measurement invariance of the Chinese NNSS across gender and samples, validating its reliability and applicability. The validation of the Chinese NNSS within PE settings not only adds the need for novelty to the motivational sequence proposed by self-determination theory (SDT) but also emphasizes its significant role in enhancing autonomous motivation and enjoyment. This study suggests the scale's utility for future research in exploring the dynamics among BPNs and provides deeper insights into the motivational processes in PE.

Does the Jigsaw method improve motivation and self-regulation in vocational high schools?

Although much has been written about the beneficial effects of the Jigsaw method, little is known about how it affects students' motivation and self-regulation processes. In this study, we tested its effects on students' trajectories of autonomous mathematics motivation and academic self-regulation. We also examined whether these effects could be moderated by the students’ cooperative attitudes and initial mathematics achievement level. 4,698 students from French vocational high schools participated in the study over two years. They were divided into three groups: 1,641 were assigned to a cooperative learning condition with the Jigsaw method, 1,602 to a weakly structured cooperative learning condition, and 1,455 to a business-as-usual learning condition. Self-reported mathematics motivation, academic self-regulation, and cooperative attitudes were collected three times during the study. Overall, the multilevel growth model results indicate a general decline in students’ motivation and self-regulation, and student-reported cooperative attitudes did not moderate these effects. However, the trajectories of motivation and self-regulation differed by condition for low-achieving students. While these trajectories decreased over time amongst low-achieving students in the Jigsaw method condition and in the weakly structured cooperation condition, they were stable in the business-as-usual learning condition. These results provide a new perspective since they seem to question the implementation conditions of the Jigsaw method for low-achieving students.

Factors influencing perseverance in teaching Chinese martial arts abroad: a self-determination theory perspective among international instructors.

The global dissemination of Chinese martial arts (CMAs), transcends mere physical activity; it represents a cultural and philosophical journey that contributes to enhanced psychological well-being. Capturing international attention, CMAs have engendered a network of global instructors committed to their cross-cultural teaching. However, the narrative of CMAs across the globe is incomplete without understanding the psychological factors that fuel the perseverance of these international instructors. Their relentless commitment, motivated by factors beyond the cultural and geographical barriers, poses a unique question: What motivates these instructors to persist in teaching CMAs in the face of such challenges? The study aims to uncover the key motivational mechanisms that influence the perseverance of international CMAs instructors in their teaching endeavors. Employing Self-Determination Theory, 147 international CMAs instructors completed the Motivation for Teaching CMAs Scale, Perceived Belonging Scale, and Perseverance in Teaching CMAs Scale. SPSS 20.0 was utilized for conducting descriptive statistics, common method bias tests, and correlation analyses. Structural equation modeling was performed using AMOS 26.0. Autonomous Motivation positively affected perseverance in teaching CMAs (β = 0.369, b = 0.465, t = 4.232, p < 0.001). In contrast, Amotivation negatively affected perseverance (β = -0.323, b = -0.382, t = -3.561, p < 0.001). Neither Controlled Motivation nor Sense of Belonging significantly affected perseverance. The model explained 27.9% of the variance in perseverance, offering insights into the motivational mechanisms influencing international CMAs instructors. This study concludes that the perseverance of international instructors in teaching CMAs is primarily driven by overcoming amotivation and fostering autonomous motivation, rather than short-term internal or external incentives, which appear ineffective. Additionally, sense of belonging to their CMA school does not significantly influence their perseverance, potentially due to the diverse cultural backgrounds of the instructors surveyed. The findings suggest that by enhancing the recognition and acceptance of CMAs' core philosophies and values, aligning teaching practices with personal and cultural values, and fostering a profound passion for CMAs, international instructors could boost their autonomous motivation, which is crucial for their sustained commitment in promoting CMAs globally.

The Psychological Characteristics of People with High and Low Levels of Professional Well-Being

The article presents a comparative analysis of the psychological characteristics of people having high and low levels of professional well-being. There were significant differences for all studied indicators between groups with high and low professional well-being. The widest differences between the two groups were found for average values of professional commitment, job satisfaction, autonomous motivation, in-demand profession, and professional psychological well-being; the smallest differences were determined for average values of life satisfaction, climate in a team and controlled motivation. Significant differences depending on a level of professional well-being were revealed and professional well-being correlations with the studied indicators in groups with its high and low levels were analyzed. A high level of professional well-being correlated strongly with many indicators of professional work: professional commitment, in demand in profession, psychological capital, professional self-attitude, meaningfulness of life, job satisfaction, professional psychological well-being, autonomous motivation and climate in a team. A low level of professional well-being correlated with the examined indicators with medium to weak strength. This confirms the integral nature of the phenomenon of professional well-being. The regression models for factors of high and low levels of professional well-being were similar. In both groups, the most important factors of professional well-being were: professional commitment, in demand in profession, climate in a team, subjective social well-being and meaningfulness of life. The differences were revealed only for the signs of coefficients applied to subjective social well-being and meaningfulness of life.

Thank You for Changing: Gratitude Promotes Autonomous Motivation and Successful Partner Regulation.

Romantic partners often attempt to improve their relationship by changing each other's traits and behaviors, but such partner regulation is often unsuccessful. We examined whether gratitude expressed by agents (i.e., partners requesting change) facilitates greater regulation success from targets (i.e., partners making change) by encouraging targets' autonomous motivation. Across studies, including observational (Study 1, N = 111 couples), preregistered longitudinal (Study 2, N = 150 couples), and experimental (Study 3a, N = 431; Study 3b, N = 725) designs, agents' gratitude for targets' efforts was linked to greater targets'-and less consistently agents'-reported regulation success. These effects were consistently mediated by greater target autonomous motivation, and generally persisted when accounting for how agents communicated their change request and other positive responses to targets' efforts (e.g., positivity and support). Gratitude for targets' efforts appears to be an important tool for promoting change success.

Gender differences in class engagement and disruptive school behaviour: boys’ susceptibility to peers’ motivation culture

ABSTRACT Starting from observed gender differences in educational effort and because research considers motivation to be a personal student feature, this study had two aims. First, it examined whether autonomous and controlled motivation are shared by students within a school and whether such a motivation culture is associated with the school's student composition. Second, the study examined whether students’, and specifically boys’, class engagement and disruptive behaviour are associated with the motivation culture in their school. The main findings of analyses of data from 5162 eighth-grade students (average age 14) in 57 Flemish secondary schools are that (1) schools are characterized by an autonomous and controlled motivated culture that is related to schools’ sex and migrant composition and schools’ socioeconomic composition, respectively, and (2) boys’ disruptive behaviour is related to the autonomous motivation culture, showing boys are more susceptible to their peers’ motivation culture. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

What factors are associated with physical education teachers’ (de)motivating teaching style? A circumplex approach

Building upon the circumplex approach to (de)motivating styles defined by self-determination theory, this research aimed: (a) to analyse the extent to which physical education (PE) teachers’ (de)motivating teaching approaches differ across gender, school level, and years of teaching experience, and (b) to test paths from PE teachers’ need-based experiences to their (de)motivating teaching approaches, via motivation quality. A purposive and cross-sectional sample of 667 Spanish PE teachers (63.7% male; 54.7% primary; mean teaching experience = 10.77 years) participated. The overall results found that male, secondary school, and more experienced teachers scored lower on autonomy-supportive approaches, and higher on controlling and chaotic approaches. The findings also showed that, after controlling for gender, school level, and teaching experience, need satisfaction showed a direct significant effect on autonomous motivation and an indirect effect on participative, attuning, guiding, and clarifying approaches via autonomous motivation. Need frustration showed a direct significant effect on controlled motivation and amotivation and an indirect effect on demanding, domineering, abandoning, and awaiting approaches via controlled motivation and amotivation. Another noteworthy result is the positive relationship between need satisfaction and controlled motivation. Our results underscore the role that PE teachers’ personal traits play in the adaptive motivational mechanisms underlying their variety of (de)motivating approaches to PE teaching.

The effectiveness of a positive psychological intervention for promoting preschool teachers' well-being and professional competence: EASP intervention program.

The present study investigated the effectiveness of the Early Advancement in Social-Emotional Health and Positivity (EASP) program, a positive psychological intervention promoting preschool teachers' well-being and the motivational aspect of professional competence. Participants were 273 in-service preschool teachers (Mage = 34.56 years, SD = 9.52, range = 22-58; female = 98.90%) who participated in a 2-month randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 143) receiving 1) four online workshops, 2) a smartphone app, and 3) an online activity, or to the wait-list control group (n = 130), which received the intervention materials after all the data collection. Participants reported their well-being dimensions, teaching self-efficacy, and autonomous motivation for teaching before and after the intervention. Results from a path analytic model exhibited excellent fit with the data, χ2 = 37.62, df = 33, CFI = .99, TLI = .98, RMSEA = .02 [90% CI = 0.00, 0.05], SRMR = .02. The intervention had direct effects on changes in well-being dimensions, including positivity, outcome, strength, engagement, and resilience (β = .14 to .26, ps = .00 to .04), and indirect intervention effects on changes in teaching self-efficacy and autonomous motivation for teaching (β = .14 to .15, ps = .00 to .01). These findings highlighted the potential value of implementing positive psychological interventions in educational settings to promote the well-being and professional competence among preschool teachers.

Interpersonal supports for basic psychological needs and their relations with motivation, well-being, and performance: A meta-analysis.

People's motivational processes, well-being, and performance are likely to be facilitated through the support of others. Self-determination theory argues that interpersonal supports for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are crucial to achieve these outcomes. In the present study, we provide a comprehensive examination of this formulation based on a meta-analytic database consisting of 4,561 effect sizes from 881 independent samples (N = 443,556). Our results indicate that supports for autonomy, competence, and relatedness were strongly positively related with the satisfaction of these basic needs and strongly negatively related to their frustration. Interpersonal supports for basic needs were strongly positively related with subjective well-being and exhibited small to moderate positive associations with performance. Moderation analyses showed general stability of effects across cultures, although correlations of autonomy support to autonomous motivation weakened as a function of individualism. The opposite pattern was observed for the correlation between relatedness support and intrinsic motivation. Some effects also declined as a function of sample age and lag in measurements. We also find that competence- and relatedness-supportive behaviors explained incremental variance in basic need satisfaction even after controlling for the more established effects of autonomy support. In addition, lateral need supports explained incremental variance in basic need satisfaction after controlling for vertical sources of support. In sum, our results are consistent with the premise that to support optimal motivation, well-being, and performance, a broad set of behaviors that nurture all three basic needs, together with different sources of interpersonal support, should be considered to yield the most benefit. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Mediation effects of basic psychological needs and motivation among coach leadership style on the subjective well-being of adapted sports athletes' members of the special olympics.

Subjective well-being has numerous indicators of global well-being, however, the most important are life satisfaction and attachments, which can be both positive and negative. The leadership of the coach is an integral part of the process that cares for the relationship of the athlete and coach, where the coach has a fundamental role on the athlete, and consequently on his subjective well-being. The study has the purpose to analyse if and in what way the Basic Psychological Needs-relationship, autonomy and social relationship (mediator 1, M1) and the autonomous motivation (mediator 2, M2) mediate the relationship of the variables of democratic style (independent variable, X) with subjective well-being-life satisfaction and positive attachment (dependent variable, Y). In this cross-sectional study, participated 94 athletes with Intellectual and Developmental Difficulty (IDD), aged between 11 and 63 years (ẋ = 32.6 ± SD = 13.8 years) of both genders. Statistical analysis was performed using multiple serial mediation models, using the macro PROCESS for SPSS, version 3 (model 6), using the bootstrap method with 10000 samples. There is a mediation effect between those of basic psychological needs and autonomous motivation, exercised between the democratic leadership profile of the coach and the subjective welfare of the athlete. On the other hand, autocratic style has a significant direct effect on the increase in basic psychological needs and controlled motivation. However, the democratic style is more consistent in this type of analysis. Our results reinforce the importance of promoting a democratic leadership style on the part of the coach in their athletes, enhancing a direct effect on life satisfaction and positive attachment in athletes adapted with IDD members of the Special Olympics.