Professor of Psychology and Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences

Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, 1970

 

Contact Information:

Department of Clinical & Social Psychology

University of Rochester

RC Box 270266

Rochester, NY 14627-0266

USA

 

Office: Meliora Hall 429

Telephone: (585) 275-2461

E-mail: edward.deci@rochester.edu

Website: http://psych.rochester.edu/SDT/

 

Research

 

I examine a variety of issues in human motivation, isolating basic processes and testing their application to education, health care, parenting, mental health, and work organizations in the US and across cultures. Using both laboratory and field methods, my work focuses primarily on the nature and development of self-determination. For more detail, please see the Self-Determination Theory website.

 

Recent Publications

 

• Deci, E. L., La Guardia, J. G., Moller, A. C., Scheiner, M. J., & Ryan, R. M. (2006).  On the benefits of giving as well as receiving autonomy support:  Mutuality in close friendships.  Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 313-327.
• Moller, A. C., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2006). Choice and ego-depletion: The moderating role of autonomy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1024-1036.
• Niemiec, C. P., Lynch, M. F., Vansteenkiste, M., Bernstein, J., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2006). The antecedents and consequences of autonomous self-regulation for college: A self-determination theory perspective on socialization. Journal of Adolescence, 29, 761-775.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2006). Self-Regulation and the problem of human autonomy: Does psychology need choice, self-determination, and will? Journal of Personality, 74, 1557-1585.
• Ryan, R. M., Deci, E. L., Grolnick, W. S., & LaGuardia, J. G. (2006) The significance of autonomy and autonomy support in psychological development and psychopathology. In D. Cicchetti & D. Cohen (Eds.) Developmental Psychopathology: Volume 1, Theory and Methods (2nd Edition, pp. 295-849). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
• Vansteenkiste, M., Simons, J., Lens, W., Sheldon, K. M., & Deci, E. L. (2004).  Motivating learning, performance, and persistence:   The synergistic effects of intrinsic goal contents and autonomy-supportive contexts.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 246-260.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). To be happy or to be self-fulfilled: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. In S. Fiske (Ed.), Annual Review of Psychology (Vol. 52; pp. 141-166). Palo Alto, CA: Annual Reviews, Inc.
• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The"what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268.

 

Click here to view more publications

 

Current and Recent Graduate Students

 

• Jackie Anson (M.A. University of Colorado, CO Springs)
• Andrew Przybylski (B.A. University of Rochester, 2004): Human motivation in video games and virtual environments.
• Ryan Acuff (B.A., University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana)
• Christopher Niemiec (BA, University of Rochester, 2003): Human autonomy and motivation in personality and development.
• Arlen Moller (Ph.D. 2007): Human motivation and emotion, psychological health and eudaimonic well-being. Currently Assistant Professor at Gettysburg College.

 

Recent Visiting Fellows

 

• Mia Reinholt (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)
• Guy Roth (Ben Gurion University, Israel): Parental conditional regard and their children's motivation.
• Hyungshin Jang (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee): Self-determination in education.
• Maarten Vansteenkiste (University Ghent, Belgium): Intrinsic and extrinsic goals; competition, feedback, and intrinsic motivation.
• Gaetan Losier (University of Moncton, Canada): Motivation, self regulation, and performance.

 

Recent Courses Taught

 

• CSP 552: Human Motivation and Emotion
• CSP 553: Introduction to Social Psychology and Personality
• CSP 589: Training Group in Gestalt Therapy

 

Grants

 

• Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. “Examining the Effectiveness of Scaling Up the First Things First Reform”
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “Conducting the National Site Selection for First Things First”
• Self-Determination and Maintaining Tobacco Abstinence: National Cancer Institute
• Autonomy Support versus Conditional Regard as Socializing Practices: A Cross-Cultural Perspective: United States - Israel Bi-national Science Foundation

 

Recent Honors or Distinctions

 

• Honorary President, Canadian Psychological Association, 2006-2007
• Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences, University of Rochester
• James McKeen Cattell Faculty Sabbatical Fellowship
• Distinguished Senior Research Award from the Network for Positive Psychology