An emerging field of research is beginning to examine the ways in which socioeconomic disparities affect emotional, cognitive, and social processes. In this study, we took a two-step approach to examining the role that resource scarcity plays in the predictive power of intrinsic motivation on school attendance, as well as its influence on the precursors of intrinsic motivation: the psychological needs of relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Results revealed that intrinsic motivation predicts school attendance even under conditions of extreme adversity. The satisfaction of the basic needs is more important for participants who are exposed to severe rather than mild levels of deprivation. Our findings illustrate ecological effects on the mechanism underlying goal-directed behavior. They provide evidence in favor of self-determination theory's depiction of humans as active, growth-oriented organisms and for the potential of psychological interventions to reduce poverty.

Sub‐Saharan samples are severely under‐represented in the psychological literature. Taking an ecological approach, the current study examines key propositions derived from self‐determination theory in a sample of adolescent girls in Mozambique. As a framework theory, self‐determination theory consists of six sub‐theories. We test the main premises of two of these theories: organismic integration theory and basic psychological need theory. In line with organismic integration theory, we assess the role of intrinsic, extrinsic, introjected and identified motivation for school attendance. We also test the possible moderating role of the ecological variable resource scarcity. The second part of the study focuses on the main premise of the basic psychological need sub‐theory, which states that satisfaction of the needs for relatedness, competence and autonomy underlies intrinsic motivation, goal‐directed behaviour (school attendance) and well‐being (self‐esteem). The study also assesses the moderation of resource scarcity in these relationships. Results provide support for both sub‐theories of self‐determination theory. Resource scarcity is not found to moderate the relationships between motivation and attendance or between need satisfaction and well‐being, motivation and attendance. Implications for the universality claim of self‐determination theory, as well as for the field of international development aid, are discussed.

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