ABSTRACT
The use of the self-determination construct to explain human behavior ranges from John Locke's late 17th-century speculations about free will and determinism to modern usages in psychology, with the construct applied in philosophy, psychology, social welfare, and education. This chapter reviews some applications of the self-determination construct in social psychology, examining current research and knowledge pertaining to self-determination as a central construct in positive psychology, from the standpoint of, and as a central construct in, social psychology. It introduces Self-Determination Theory, a motivational theory prominent in positive psychology, and examines current knowledge and recent research illustrating the importance of SDT to examining issues framed within social psychology. The chapter describes Causal Agency Theory (CAT), which explains how people become self-determined, and overview current knowledge and recent research, particularly in the context of people with disabilities, that contribute to knowledge in social psychology. It concludes with a brief discussion of the development of self-determination, drawing from these two theoretical frames.
