You Oughta Know Richard Ryan- A Special Primer on SDT

You Oughta Know with Adam Neufeld

Episode Overview We are back after a bit of a hiatus. Medical education has a reputation for being intense, hierarchical, and emotionally grueling. But what if we designed it differently? In this episode of YOU OUGHTA KNOW: The Motivation Series, Matt sits down with Dr. Adam Neufeld, Family Physician & Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, to explore how Self-Determination Theory (SDT) can transform the way physicians are trained, supported, and developed. Drawing on his experience as both a clinician and medical educator, Adam unpacks the motivational pressures embedded in medical culture, from perfectionism and burnout to fear-based assessment and emotional suppression. Together, Matt and Adam examine how autonomy support, meaningful feedback, psychological safety, and human-centered relationships can create more resilient physicians and better patient outcomes. Along the way, they connect SDT to real-world challenges like medical errors, patient disengagement, team-based care, and the hidden curriculum of higher education. This is a powerful conversation about rigor without rigidity, excellence without exhaustion, and what happens when we design learning environments that actually support human motivation. Key Takeaways * Rigor does not require control, fear, or humiliation * Autonomy support works even in high-stakes, hierarchical environments * Burnout is not an individual weakness but a systemic outcome * Feedback should fuel growth, not performance anxiety * Human connection is central to both learning and healing * Motivation science is as essential to healthcare as medical knowledge Some of our favorite articles by Adam include: Orsini, C., Neufeld, A. (2026). Ten tips for supporting clinical teachers’ motivation to teach. Canadian Family Physician, 72(1), 51-3. https://doi.org/10.46747/cfp.720151 [https://doi.org/10.46747/cfp.720151] Neufeld, A. (2025). When I say autonomy. When I say, Advance Online, . https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.70051 [https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.70051] Neufeld, A. (2025). Putting self-determination theory Into practice: A practical tool for supporting medical learners’ motivation. The Clinical Teacher, 22(4), Article e70140. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.70140 [https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.70140]

You Oughta Know Richard Ryan- A Special Primer on SDT

In this special episode, Matt is joined by the co-developer of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Richard M. Ryan. Think of this episode as a primer on SDT. We hit the basics… * What is motivation? What is SDT?‎ * ‎What are the origins of SDT?‎ * ‎The different types of motivation.‎ * ‎Rewards and their impact on one’s motivation.‎ * ‎Of course, the famous three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness).‎ * ‎We discuss strategies one may take to either create environments to meet others’ needs or to do it for oneself.‎ * ‎What is well-being? How is well-being related to motivation?‎ * ‎Is SDT universal? Is it culturally descriptive in all cases?‎ * ‎And more! During our discussion on mindfulness, Rich refers to a recently published meta-analysis.  The reference is: Donald, James N., Helena Nguyen, James H. Conigrave, Anya Johnson, Inmaculada Adarves-Yorno, Ryan Cheng, Anya Bedi, Kevin B. Lowe, Jessica L. Lyons, Emma K. Devine, Georg B. Tamm and Richard M. Ryan (2025). ‘ Does Leaders’ Mindfulness Benefit Followers? A Meta-analytic Review and Research Agenda.’ British Journal of Management, 11111. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.70009 [https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.70009]  Matt refers to a 1999 meta-analysis on the impact of rewards. That reference is: Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627–668. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.6.627 [https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.125.6.627] Three references about the cultural generalizability of SDT are: Chirkov, V., Ryan, R. M., Kim, Y., & Kaplan, U. (2003). Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: A self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 97–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97 [https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97] Chirkov, V. I. (2009). A cross-cultural analysis of autonomy in education: A self-determination theory perspective. Theory and Research in Education, 7, 253-262. https://doi.org/ [https://doi.org/] Chirkov, V. I. (2017). Culture and autonomy. The Praeger handbook of personality across cultures, 2, 91-119. https://doi.org/ [https://doi.org/] Rich is a clinical psychologist and is currently a Professorial Fellow at the Australian Catholic University’s Institute for Positive Psychology & Education in North Sydney; he’s also Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Rochester, where he helped spark one of the most enduring frameworks of human motivation in the last half-century.

You Oughta Know Jacques Forest

In this episode, we are joined by Jacques Forest, an expert in applying SDT in the work environment. He is the co-author of THE ABC OF WORK MOTIVATION with Anja Van den Broeck, Hermina  Van Coillie, and Marcus B. Muller. You can buy the book wherever books are sold. You can also find it here: https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789048562732/the-abc-of-work-motivation [https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789048562732/the-abc-of-work-motivation]. The book is also available in French. LDA is hosting a free MEET-THE-AUTHOR event on June 25, 2025 with Jacques, Anja, Hermina, and Marcus. It is open to the public and will be recorded for those who cannot make it. Learn more and register here: https://members.ldaccelerator.com/c/upcoming-free-programs/meet-the-authors-of-the-abcs-of-work-motivation-6565600f-9d96-4dde-b42f-7d57a1182315 We discuss rewards and pay implications, the ROI of using SDT to foster a well-being-focused culture, and several practical tips. We deviate to talk about how fairness regarding money plays a role in how we perceive money motivationally. Jacques mentions Maarten Vansteenkiste and Bart Soenens from UGent and their work on how needs satisfaction is universal, but not uniform. An example of their work is here: https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/01HTM618TXZ27FFZ8W3NY97KE7 [https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/01HTM618TXZ27FFZ8W3NY97KE7]. Jacques references our friend, Marylene Gagne, whom we interviewed in an early episode of this podcast. Jacques references a meta-analysis co-authored by Anya Van den Broeck about well-being. That article can be found here: Van den Broeck, A., Howard, J. L., Van Vaerenbergh, Y., Leroy, H., & Gagné, M. (2021). Beyond intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: A meta-analysis on self-determination theory’s multidimensional conceptualization of work motivation. Organizational Psychology Review, 11(3), 240-273. https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866211006173 [https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866211006173]  (Original work published 2021) Anya also co-authored an excellent and related article with Maarten Vansteenkiste and others. You can find that here:  Van den Broeck, Anja & Vansteenkiste, Maarten & De Witte, Hans & Lens, Willy. (2008). Explaining the relationships between job characteristics, burnout, and engagement: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction. Work & Stress. 22. 277-294. 10.1080/02678370802393672.  Jacques is an Organizational Psychologist and Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP, Distinction Fellow) Full professor in the Department of Organization and Human Resources at UQAM Business School, Jacques Forest is a master in the art of building bridges between science and practice. His research focuses on self-determination theory (SDT) and the motivational factors needed to reconcile performance and well-being in a sustainable way.  You can find Jacques at UQAM (https://professeurs.uqam.ca/professeur/forest.jacques/ [https://professeurs.uqam.ca/professeur/forest.jacques/]) or linkedin: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquesforest/) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquesforest/]

You Oughta Know Richard M. Ryan On Health and Fitness

Throughout the year, SDT's Richard Ryan joins us for a short, targeted conversation about a specific topic within the realm of SDT.  In this episode, Rich explores the topic of healthcare. He explains some of the nuance associated with why we may or may not take care of ourselves (we know exercise is good for us, but don't do it), or why doctors and healthcare providers don't always succeed in supporting their patients adhering to given advice. He suggests we advocate for ourselves by developing better relationships with our providers. He also urges those same providers to take more time listening and connecting with us.  Rich Ryan is a professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at the Australian Catholic University and a research professor at the University of Rochester. He lectures frequently in the United States and abroad on Self-Determination Theory and the factors that promote motivation and healthy psychological and behavioral functioning. He is also a co-founder of Immersyve, Inc., a motivational consulting company in Orlando, FL.

You Oughta Know Martin Lynch

In this episode, Matt chats with Martin Lynch about the motivational effects motivation— specifically SDT— has on culture. We explore how different cultures may experience the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs from the theory. How do different cultural perspectives represent a concept like autonomy? Are cultures possibly undermining in of themselves? How can they be supportive of needs? How are universal needs like autonomy, competence, and relatedness understood, experienced, and represented in oppressive and authoritarian cultures? Martin shares his own research work in cross-cultural motivation on these topics and more. Matt mentions the life of Dmitri Shostakovich. The two references he mentions are Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich and Elizabeth Wilson’s Shostakovich: A Life Remembered.  We take a brief detour to discuss some of the limitations associated with self-scoring assessments and surveys used in research; and how those researchers in SDT mitigate some of those effects using processes like observational research and meta-analysis. Combining self-scoring and observational techniques, Martin talks a bit about experience sampling. You can learn more about it here: https://academy.pubs.asha.org/2014/11/experience-sampling-method/ [https://academy.pubs.asha.org/2014/11/experience-sampling-method/]  Matt references the conversation he had in a previous YOU OUGHTA KNOW episode with psychologist, Maarten Vansteenkiste. You can find it here: https://ldaccelerator.com/sdtpodcast [https://ldaccelerator.com/sdtpodcast]. Martin mentions the concept of Filial piety. You can learn more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filial_piety#:~:text=of%20one's%20parents.-,Filial%20piety%20means%20to%20be%20good%20to%20one's%20parents;%20to,the%20affection%20of%20its%20parents/ [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filial_piety#:~:text=of%20one]  Matt was talking about Barbara Ilardi. You can learn more about her and her work here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barbara-Ilardi [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barbara-Ilardi]. We couldn’t find any specific work from her about Feedback… so Matt’s memory was faulty. However, Barbara’s work is nonetheless super and worth a dig into. A sampling of some of the references Martin alludes to are: Chirkov, V., Ryan, R. M., Kim, Y., & Kaplan, U. (2003). Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: A self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 97–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97 [https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97] Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., Gagné, M., Leone, D. R., Usunov, J., & Kornazheva, B. P. (2001). Need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in the work organizations of a former Eastern bloc country: A cross-cultural study of self-determination. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(8), 930–942. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167201278002 [https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167201278002] Lynch, M. F., La Guardia, J. G., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). On being yourself in different cultures: Ideal and actual self-concept, autonomy support, and well-being in China, Russia, and the United States. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 290-304. Nalipay, M.J.N., King, R.B. and Cai, Y. (2020), Autonomy is equally important across East and West: Testing the cross-cultural universality of self-determination theory. Journal of Adolescence, 78: 67-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.12.009 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.12.009] Sheldon, K. M., Elliot, A. J., Ryan, R. M., Chirkov, V., Kim, Y., Wu, C., et al. (2004). Self-concordance and subjective well-being in four cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 209–223. MORE ABOUT MARTIN: Martin Lynch, a clinical psychologist, joined the Warner School faculty at the University of Rochester in 2008, teaching in the counseling and counselor education and human development programs. His research focuses on the effects of social context on human motivation, personality development, and well-being, with an emphasis on Self-Determination Theory. His current research interests include cross-cultural issues in the role of autonomy support; the sources of within-person variability in trait self-concept, well-being, and life satisfaction; motivation for emigration; and adjustment of international students. He is also involved in applied motivational research in the domains of education and counseling and psychotherapy. Additionally, Martin is a nationally certified counselor (NCC) and a licensed clinical psychologist in New York State. You can find Martin here: https://www.warner.rochester.edu/directory/martin-lynch [https://www.warner.rochester.edu/directory/martin-lynch] https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-lynch-7b244639/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-lynch-7b244639/]