Self-determination theory offered a new model of what a human being is. Behaviorists said motivation comes from outside, while SDT argued that the deepest motivation is intrinsic.

Dr. Edward L. Deci, a University of Rochester psychology professor, challenged traditional motivation theories and co-developed the widely accepted self-determination theory.

Developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s by renowned psychologists Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, self-determination theory explores the pivotal role of motivation in shaping human behavior, ...