ABSTRACT
This article uses Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to assess the motivational mechanisms and claims of asset-based community development (ABCD). The limited academic literature argues ABCD’s focus on existing assets and locally identified priorities motivates communi-ty participation. However, motivation is only superficially understood and remains unquali-fied. SDT is an established theory of motivation, which we suggest is largely compatible with ABCD. Using SDT as a framework, we determine how common ABCD tools support more autonomous motivations. We also outline how SDT tools and concepts can be inte-grated into ABCD practice and used to evaluate the motivational claims of ABCD-based programs. The findings show SDT can strengthen the theoretical base, practice and evaluation of ABCD interventions.
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Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.