Motivation for Dental Home Care: Testing a Self‐Determination Theory Model¹

Abstract

The present research developed the Self‐Regulation for Dental Home Care Questionnaire (SRDHCQ), based on self‐determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000), and used it in an SDT process model of dental health behaviors and self‐rated oral health. In this model, patients' perceptions of autonomy‐supportive (relative to controlling) dental professionals were expected to positively predict patients' psychological needs satisfaction in treatment. Needs satisfaction was expected to be positively related to autonomous motivation for dental home care and perceived dental competence, which were expected to be positively associated with self‐rated oral health and dental health behaviors. Confirmatory factor analysis of the 5‐factor SRDHCQ model fit the data very well, and a structural equation model supported the hypothesized process model.

Oral health and dental well‐being: testing a self‐determination theory model

“…The reliability coefficient was.93. In a recent study, this scale yielded good internal consistency, and its correlations with intrinsic needs satisfaction, and both motivational and oral‐health‐related variables were as expected according to SDT (Halvari et al., ).…”

“…A recent SDT model test yielded a similar nonsignificant direct link between autonomous motivation for dental home‐care and self‐rated oral health. This relation was indirect through perceived competence (Halvari et al., ). Thus, perceived competence and controlled motivation seem more strongly linked to health evaluations, whereas autonomous motivation is more strongly related to valuing continued dental treatment.…”

“…Perceived controlling style was measured with the 14‐item Perceived Controlling Style at the Dental Clinic Questionnaire (Halvari et al., ). Sample items are: (1) “I feel that the dental professional will do what he/she wants and not listen to me when I sit in the chair” (threatened autonomy); (2) “When my teeth are being examined, I feel underestimated and humiliated” (threatened competence); and (3) “My dental professional does not see me as a person, he/she sees only the teeth” (threatened social relatedness).…”

Motivation and anxiety for dental treatment and dental attendance: The roles of the locus of causality personality and treatment styles

“…Perceived Controllingness at the Dental Clinic was measured with the Perceived Controlling Style at the Dental Clinic Questionnaire (PCSDCQ; Halvari, Halvari, Bjørnebekk, & Deci, ). The six items are intended to measure clinic conditions that may (1) Threaten satisfaction of the need for autonomy, which means that people experience less choice and believe that their actions are other‐initiated (de Charms, ).…”

“…Sample item: “My oral health care professional does not see me as a person, he/she sees only my teeth.” Participants responded to the items on a 1 ( strongly disagree ) to 7 ( strongly agree ) scale. For additional reliability and validity indications of the PCSDCQ, see (Halvari et al, , , ). In the current study, the α reliability coefficient was .86.…”