Richard M. Ryan is a
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at the
Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University (ACU) is a public university in Australia. It has seven Australian campuses and also maintains a campus in Rome.
History
Australian Catholic University was opened on 1 January 1991 following the amalgamatio ...
and a research professor at the
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees.
The University of Roc ...
. He earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University for Rochester and his B.A. from the University of Connecticut. Ryan is a
clinical psychologist
Clinical psychology is an integration of social science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and persona ...
and co-developer with
Edward L. Deci
Edward L. Deci (; born in 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 ...
, of
Self-Determination Theory (SDT), one of the most influential theories of human
motivation
Motivation is the reason for which humans and other animals initiate, continue, or terminate a behavior at a given time. Motivational states are commonly understood as forces acting within the agent that create a disposition to engage in goal-dire ...
. SDT is a macrotheory of motivation, psychological development and wellness. The theory has spawned basic research on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and the facilitation and undermining of volitional motivation. SDT has been widely applied on research and interventions in work organizations, schools, clinical settings, virtual environments and sports, among other areas of application.
Ryan is one of the leading theorists of human motivation ranking among the top 1% of researchers in the field.
Reflective of his influence internationally and across disciplines, he has been recognized as one of the eminent psychologists of the modern era, Post-World War II., and is also featured as a top scientist in the bestseller, "Scientists Making a Difference".
Evidence of scholarly impact, Ryan is also among the most cited researchers in psychology and social sciences today having authored over 400 papers and books in the areas of human motivation, personality, and psychological well-being. His book ''Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior'', co-authored with Edward L. Deci in 1985, has been cited over 37,000 times according to Google Scholar. His article ''Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being'' was the 6th most cited Psychiatry and Psychology article of its decade.
In 2017, Ryan and Deci comprehensively examine four decades of motivational research in ''Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development and wellness.'' Other works by Ryan include the highly ranked, ''Glued to Games'' which is a scientific perspective of how video games motivate players.
Ryan has received three lifetime achievement awards for his contributions to the field on motivation, personal meaning, and self and identity, including the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Network on Personal Meaning.
He has earned fellowships from the
Leverhulme Foundation and the
James McKeen Cattell Fund, and was a visiting professor at the Max Plank Institute, The University of Bath, and the National Institute of Education at the Nanyang Technical University in Singapore. He also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Thessaly.
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.
Selected works
* Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017).
Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness'. New York: Guilford Publishing.
* Rigby, C. S., & Ryan, R. M. (2011).
Glued to games: How video games draw us in and hold us spellbound'.
*
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). "Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being." ''American Psychologist'', 55, 68-78.Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). "The 'what' and 'why' of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior." ''Psychological Inquiry'', 11, 227-268.*
See also
*
Self-determination theory
Self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of human motivation and personality that concerns people's innate growth tendencies and innate psychological needs. It pertains to the motivation behind people's choices in the absence of extern ...
*
Organismic theory
Organismic theories in psychology are a family of holistic psychological theories which tend to stress the organization, unity, and integration of human beings expressed through each individual's inherent growth or developmental tendency. The id ...
*
Motivation
Motivation is the reason for which humans and other animals initiate, continue, or terminate a behavior at a given time. Motivational states are commonly understood as forces acting within the agent that create a disposition to engage in goal-dire ...
References
External links
selfdeterminationtheory.org*
Google Scholar Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Richard M.
University of Rochester faculty
1953 births
21st-century American psychologists
Motivation theorists
Living people
20th-century American psychologists