Autonomous motivation in medical education

Abstract

Intrinsic motivation was a reining concept for many years in self-determination theory (SDT) research. Since the last 10 years, the concept of autonomous motivation is used more commonly by some researchers. Autonomous motivation means motivation arising out of genuine interest or personal endorsement or valuing of an activity. Autonomous motivation is a combination of intrinsic motivation and identified regulation type of extrinsic motivation. This article aims to clarify and put forth the concept and use of autonomous motivation in the practice of medical education.

Disclosure statement

The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rashmi A. Kusurkar

Rashmi A. Kusurkar, MD, PhD, FAMEE, is an Associate Professor and Head of Department of Research in Education at Amsterdam UMC, VUmc School of Medical Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She is International Scholar on Self-Determination Theory and the Chief Organizer of the 7th International Conference on Self-Determination Theory 2019.