Self-determination theory shows that free will matters.

Abstract

Richard Ryan and team (Ryan et et al., 2021) have done a valiant job of condensing self-determination theory (SDT) into a short article, although they had to omit far too much for the novice reader to get a complete view. We also resonated with their "Copernican turn" to personhood as the unifying theme for the article, because ultimately, that is what SDT is about. It was also valuable to discover what new findings these authors think are most noteworthy.SDT research clearly shows that feeling self-determined in one's behavior, rather than feeling controlled or coerced, makes a large difference for mental health. Nevertheless, at least one threat remains to SDT's account of veridical personal causation. Hardline determinism says that feelings of personal causation are mere delusions, self-serving biases, or misattributions, belonging in the same category as beliefs in crystal healing, tarot card readings, and telekinesis. If this were true, SDT would be irrelevant in the world of science, although maybe not in the world of people.But this seems highly unlikely, given SDT's stature and impressive research base. Instead, it seems possible that free will is real (philosopher Christian List's, 2019 book). List argued that free will merely requires the ability to generate alternatives, to select one alternative, and then to enact it as a goal. If this is true, then free will is objectively available to anyone, whether they know it or not. SDT goes further, adding the feeling of freedom into the account, and showing that this variable makes a large difference in how well people enact their goals and intentions. SDT shows that if people feel free, they are-at least in the very important sense that their behavior is more likely to obtain the goals of that behavior-more likely to bring satisfaction to both self and others, and more likely to spark creativity and personal growth. What else would you want free will to do for you?Still, SDT could take the quest to understand personhood even further. SDT started out as a social psychological theory, with its

A legacy unfinished: An appreciative reply to comments on self-determination theory’s frontiers and challenges.

“…Concerning this emphasis on autonomy, Sheldon and Geoffredi (2021) worried that SDT faces a “major threat” from determinists who object to “free will.” Yet we suggest that sophisticated determinism is not at all a threat to SDT’s organismic approach. SDT conceptualizes autonomy, not as some disembodied free will, but rather as a form of human functioning, with its own developmental foundations, biological mechanisms, phenomenology, and consequences.…”