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The Relative Effects of Actual and Experienced Autonomy on Motivation in Nursing Home Residents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Brian P. O'Connor  and
Robert J. Vallerand
Brian P. O'Connor
Affiliation:
Lakehead University
Robert J. Vallerand
Affiliation:
University of Quebec at Montreal*
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Abstract

Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985a) has recently been applied to the motivation behind daily activities in old age (Vallerand & O'Connor, 1989). According to this theory, a primary determinant of motivation is the degree of self-determination in the living environment: actual opportunities for self-determination are assumed to affect the experience of self-determination, which in turn affects motivation. This prediction was tested among 129 residents from 11 nursing homes. Both actual opportunities for autonomy and experienced autonomy were associated with motivational styles. Furthermore, the effects of the objective environment on motivation were mediated by perceptions of the environment. The results provide suggestive support for a causal sequence that has proven difficult to establish in previous research.

Résumé

Récemment, la théorie de l'autodétermination (Deci & Ryan, 1985a) a été utilisée pour expliquer la motivation dans le comportement quotidien des personnes âgées (Vallerand 'Connor, 1989). Selon cette théorie un des principaux facteurs déterminants de la motivation est le degré d'autodétermination offert par l'environnement. Il peut donc être proposé que lorsqu'il y a des occasions propices à l'autonomie ceci peut affecter les perceptions d'autodétermination de la personne qui, subséquemment, peut influer sur la motivation. On a vérifié cette hypothèse auprès de 129 personnes résidant dans 11 centres d'accueil. Dans les deux cas on a constaté que les occasions propices à l'autodétermination et les perceptions d'autodétermination étaient toutes deux reliées aux styles de motivation. De plus, l'influence de l'environnement sur la motivation était médiatisée par les perceptions d'autodétermination. Les résultats obtenus appuient cette relation causale difficile à prouver jusqu'ici.

Keywords

MotivationSelf-determinationEnvironmentPerceptionsNursing Homes.Motivationaffirmation de soienvironnementperceptioncentre d'accueil.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , Winter/hiver 1994 , pp. 528 - 538
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1994

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