Edward L. Deci (born 1942 ) is a professor of Psychology and Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Rochester, and director of its Human Motivation Program. He is well known in psychology for his theories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs which he has been researching for 40 years. With Richard Ryan, he is the co-founder of self-determination theory (SDT), an influential contemporary motivational theory. Deci is also Director of the Monhegan Museum in Monhegan, Maine.

Early life and education

Edward L. Deci was born in October of 1942 in Palmyra, New York. Deci attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. He graduated in 1964 with a degree in mathematics. He then studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and earned his Master of Business Administration from there in 1967. Deci went on to earn his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in social psychology in 1970. In his dissertation, he explored intrinsic motivation and the way social-contextual factors may have an effect on motivation.

Self-determination theory

Self-determination theory is a macro theory of human motivation that differentiates between autonomous and controlled forms of motivation; the theory has been applied to predict behavior and inform behavior change in many contexts including: education, health care, work organizations, parenting, and sport (as well as many others).

Publications

Books

Selected works