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Deci and Ryan's cognitive evaluation theory of intrinsic motivation: A set of common sense theorems
Author(s) -
KRISTJÁNSSON MAGNÚS
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.1993.tb01130.x
Subject(s) - deci , psychology , cognitive evaluation theory , set (abstract data type) , social psychology , empirical research , cognition , test (biology) , mainstream , epistemology , cognitive psychology , self determination theory , paleontology , political science , computer science , law , biology , programming language , philosophy , autonomy , theology , neuroscience
Cognitive evaluation theory as put forward by Deci and Ryan (1985) is examined. The theory, which deals with intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, has inspired considerable amount of empirical research in the last two decades. However, contrary to the mainstream view and that of its authors, it is argued here that the theory consists of necessary truths of common sense (folk) psychology, rather than contingent and empirically testable hypotheses. As such the theory spells out what must necessarily be the case in human motivation and the empirical evidence amassed to test its validity is irrelevant. Such testing should be abandoned if its purpose is to appraise the truth value of the theory's propositions. To empirically test necessary true propositions is not only redundant in such cases, but also a waste of time and resources.