Evaluating the Dimensionality of the Relative Autonomy Continuum in Us and Russian Samples

Abstract

We conducted a psychometric evaluation of the "relative autonomy continuum" postulated by Selfdetermination theory (SDT), a continuum whose validity has recently been questioned. We started by a) examining all of the RAI items we could find, across multiple published and unpublished scales; b) extracting the core repeating words and concepts via paired-item paraphrase analysis; and c) expressing all of the resulting concepts in 38 simple, clear new items. We administered the 38 items to multiple Russian and American samples, asking participants to rate their academic motivations. Initial psychometric analyses eliminated several items, leaving 35 items for analysis.The traditional RAI dimensions of amotivated, external, introjected, identified, and intrinsic were confirmed via confirmatory factor analyses, simplex congruency analyses, and multidimensional scaling (MDS) analyses. We also tested a sixth dimension first proposed by Assor, Vansteenkiste et al. (2009), positive introjection, and confirmed its location between negative introjection and identification on the relative autonomy continuum. In addition to confirming the predicted sequence of the items and the six subscales along a primary dimension, MDS analyses also identified a second dimension corresponding to the distance of the item from the center of the continuum, suggesting that using weighting procedures when constructing aggregate motivation scores may be justified. In an attempt to provide the field with a standardized relative autonomy index (SRAI) with known properties, that can be flexibly applied to assess motivation in any and every behavioral domain, we empirically compared several methods of scoring and analyzing the data, focusing on maximizing the associations between academic motivation and subjective well-being. These scoring methods included computing and analyzing each of the six subscales separately; computing and analyzing autonomous and controlled motivation separately; computing a relative autonomy score (autonomous minus controlled motivation); and computing relative autonomy scores in which greater weight is given to subscales nearer to the two extremes of

Side effects of academic engagement? How boys’ and girls’ well-being is related to their engagement and motivational regulation

“…As stated in SDT's theoretical presumptions (Deci and Ryan 2008), autonomous motivation and the satisfaction of the need for autonomy at school were empirically found to be associated with higher well-being (Tian, Tian, and Huebner 2016). A more autonomous rather than controlled motivation has been shown to be related to positive outcomes, such as higher subjective well-being and life satisfaction (Sheldon et al 2015).…”

Building a science of motivated persons: Self-determination theory’s empirical approach to human experience and the regulation of behavior.

“…A second type of extrinsic motivation is introjected regulation, wherein a person acts from internal pressures and self-esteem contingencies. Like external regulation, introjection is a broad motivational category (Assor et al, 2009; Sheldon et al, 2017), but the common element is a focus on preserving and boosting self-worth and avoiding guilt and shame. Introjection is also a controlled form of internalization because even though the contingency driving behavior is “within” the person, the PLOC is still phenomenally external; there is an experience of pressure on the self to act or face the affective and self-evaluative consequences.…”

“…Sometimes scholars have been selective, zooming in on specific subtypes (e.g., Assor et al, 2009), and at other times exhaustive, for instance, through the provision of an ordered pattern of correlates between subtypes and external outcomes (Howard et al, 2017). Still other studies adopt an aggregating approach, thereby creating, for instance, a relative autonomy index (RAI) in which the different subscales are differentially weighted according to their location on the autonomy continuum (Ryan & Connell, 1989; Sheldon et al, 2017). The RAI allows one to test SDT’s general proposition that the more a person’s motivations are skewed toward autonomy, the higher their functioning and wellness.…”

“…The RAI allows one to test SDT’s general proposition that the more a person’s motivations are skewed toward autonomy, the higher their functioning and wellness. Another way to aggregate data, supported by factor-analytical evidence, is to combine intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation into autonomous motivation and introjected and external regulations into controlled motivation (e.g., Brunet et al, 2015; Sheldon et al, 2017). While each of these summarizing methods has high predictive power and utility, as well as limitations, it is important to bear in mind that each of the subtypes of motivation comprising any summary score has its own unique dynamics and correlates, beyond those associated with their relative autonomy.…”

What Factors Are Associated with Autonomous and Controlled Motivation for Hearing Help-Seekers?

“…This suggests that items that characterize introjection, such as acting from guilt or shame (Cohen et al, 2011), to boost self-esteem (Crocker et al, 2003) and for hubristic, or overly arrogant, pride (Tracy et al, 2009) should be differentiated in the model because they may have both positive and negative effects on internalization. Sheldon et al (2015) acknowledged the need for further psychometric evaluation of items across multiple life domains to confirm the universal validity of the continuum. Therefore, further evaluation of concepts such as introjected motivation in audiology research would be of interest, to determine if this form of motivation is influential to rehabilitation help-seeking and decision-making.…”