Self-Determination Theory and International Development

Abstract

SDT has much to offer international development, especially as a counterpoint to the extrinsic incentive bias and hedonic stance that are prevalent in the field. Although the number of studies is still limited, existing studies in the context of international development and poverty generally support the basic propositions of SDT, especially in regard to the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and intervention outcomes. Theoretically, SDT-based interventions should also promote eudaimonia, although empirical investigation is warranted. Research in international development could, in turn, bring about new perspectives to SDT, for example, that basic psychological need satisfaction seems to moderate the undermining effect. As international development is a field that is new to not just SDT but psychology in general, there will be many challenges in conducting research, such as the lack of valid psychometric measures and ethical guidelines.

Extracurricular activities as a way to foster development for youth living in an extreme context: a basic psychological needs perspective in Madagascar

“…Other studies have highlighted the scarcity of valid psychometric measures for these concepts in the international development field. (Sayanagi & van Egmond, 2023). Exploring qualitative research methods may also offer a promising avenue for refining the model in such contexts (Lynch et al, 2020).…”

“…The rather low internal consistency indices (Cronbach's alphas) and suboptimal fit indices observed in the confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) across our various scales might be reflecting this issue and affect the reliability of the results obtained. To advance research on well-being within the Malagasy context, we align with the perspective of fellow researchers (Sayanagi & van Egmond, 2023) in emphasizing the importance to either develop scales or validate existing ones. This is crucial in ensuring that any absence of results is genuinely attributed to the variables under consideration, rather than any limitations in the measurement tools employed.…”