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In addition to defining motivation differently from the way people use the term in normal conversation, SDT also quantifies it differently. It’s typical for people to talk about motivation as something that has an amount. The more motivation someone has, the more likely they are to do something. The self-determination theory of motivation takes that a step further to consider motivational quality. It’s not just about how much motivation someone has, but also what fuels it.

There are six types of motivation according to SDT that can be arranged along a continuum from controlled to autonomous (see Figure 1.1). In order from most controlled to most autonomous, the motivation types are:

• Amotivated

• External

• Introjected

• Identified

• Integrated

• Intrinsic

Simply put, the more controlled a type of motivation is, the more it is imposed onto someone from an external source. The more autonomous it is, the more it’s generated by the person from within.

FIGURE DESIGN BY AIDAN HUDSON-LAPORE.

FIGURE 1.1 The controlled forms of motivation are the weakest, but as people find personally meaningful reasons to do something, their motivation takes a stronger autonomous form.

The first type of motivation is really not motivation at all. Amotivation refers to when a person has no motivation. People who fall into this category are highly unlikely to take even a first step toward behavior change. As such, it’s very unlikely you’ll find them registering to use your program.

Sometimes people may be pushed into the behavior change arena by forces outside of their control. Most commonly, these forces take the form of someone nagging or a financial incentive to make a change. Someone who is motivated to try a behavior for purely extrinsic reasons can be said to have external motivation.

People may internalize others’ expectations of them over time. The word “should” is a clue that this may be happening: “I should lose weight,” “I should study for the test.” When the external forces causing motivation are internalized, people experience introjected motivation.

But what if a person has their own reasons for wanting to do a behavior? The first type of motivation on the autonomous side of the scale is identified motivation, when a person sees a behavior as instrumental in achieving something they value. They may not be very interested in the behavior for its own sake, but see it as a stepping-stone somewhere else.

It’s possible for a person to see a behavior as reinforcing an important value or part of their identity. Maybe they consider themselves as a kind person, and spending two hours every week at a volunteer project helps them live into that value. When a behavior is important because it supports someone’s identity or values, the person has integrated motivation.

The final and most autonomous form of motivation is intrinsic motivation. This happens when a behavior is enjoyable purely for its own sake. This is rarely seen in behavior change projects; although some target behaviors can be pleasurable, it usually takes some time and training before that’s the case. Consider exercise, which can feel wonderful for someone who has a comfortable routine; it’s hell for many newbies. On the other hand, many of the “bad” habits that interventions try to break may be very enjoyable for people, and therefore hard to abandon.

More autonomous forms of motivation are better than controlled ones for long-lasting behavior change. Behavior change tends to be hard for people; if their reasons for trying to change are personal and deeply held, they’re more likely to help them weather the difficult times. Controlled forms of motivation are more vulnerable to obstacles. Therefore, a goal of behavior change design is to coax people along the motivational continuum away from controlled forms of motivation toward more autonomous alternatives. This is done by designing experiences that fulfill people’s basic psychological needs.