Autonomy and control of behaviour in health promotion settings: influences on self-perceptions and other critical constructs

Motivation for change has long been an aspect of dispute and discussion in psychology as different theories and disciplines have been applied to the necessities and needs of behaviour change (Miller and Rollnick, 1991). One theory that deals with the social-contextual conditions of behavioural change and psychological development is self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985; Ryan and Deci, 2000). According to this, an autonomous-authentic or self-determined behaviour seems to have an increased significance in the level of self-esteem felt by the individual (Deci and Ryan, 1985). The aim of the current thesis was to examine the impact of the four types of external regulation on physical and global self-perceptions, in different health promotion settings. [Continues.]