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. 2022 Jun;26(8):1139-1158.
doi: 10.1177/10870547211050948. Epub 2021 Nov 19.

Studying Motivation in ADHD: The Role of Internal Motives and the Relevance of Self Determination Theory

Sarah Morsink  1 , Saskia Van der Oord  1   2 , Inge Antrop  3 , Marina Danckaerts  1   3 , Anouk Scheres  4
Affiliations

Studying Motivation in ADHD: The Role of Internal Motives and the Relevance of Self Determination Theory

Sarah Morsink et al. J Atten Disord. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: Motivation is what moves us to act, what engages us in goal-directed behavior. The Self Determination Theory (SDT) is a motivational framework conceptualizing motivation-or internal motives-as a continuum of motivation qualities fueled by satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs Autonomy, Relatedness, and Competence. ADHD has been associated with motivational alterations that contribute to academic difficulties. However, ADHD theories and research are mainly focused on the effects of reinforcement on behavior, with little attention for the broader definition of motivation, that is, internal motives. Therefore, the main objective here was to introduce the SDT as theoretical framework within which we can develop relevant research questions about motivation in the field of ADHD.

Method: To this end, we (i) present the SDT as a comprehensive motivational framework, and (ii) describe current motivation-related ADHD theories and research.

Results: Based on this, we suggest how SDT can be used as a guiding framework in generating relevant research questions that can help broaden our understanding of the role motivation plays in individuals with ADHD.

Conclusion: We conclude that ADHD research on motivation would benefit from (i) including internal motives as potential key mediators in the relation between environmental factors and behavior/symptoms; (ii) studying potential negative effects of external reinforcers intrinsic motivation, affect, and well-being. Finally, we conclude that this framework carries value for further development of clinical interventions for those with ADHD.

Keywords: ADHD; motivation; reinforcement; reward; self determination theory.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Framework to understand motivation. Based on Reeve (2014, Figure 1.2, p. 9; Figure 1.4, p. 16).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Schematic representation of the way SDT conceptualizes internal motives based on the model of Reeve (2014). The social context gives rise to (personal interpretation of) goals present in relation to the activity (see Goal Content Theory). These activity characteristics can support/undermine basic need (BN) satisfaction or frustration (see Basic Needs Theory) which leads to the internal growth tendency visible in increased motivation quality (see Organismic Integration Theory). These internal motives influence motivated action, and changes in life outcomes. Due to experience, one regulation style (see Causality Orientations Theory) can dominate inter-individually resulting in the differences in the pursuit/interpretation of activities/goals.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Schematic representation of the 6 types of motivation. Adapted from Vansteenkiste et al. (2010, p. 115).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Visualization of the Delay Aversion hypothesis (Sonuga-Barke, 2002). The internal motives (grey box) are hypothesized to mediate the relation between environmental factors (upcoming delay) and outcomes (behavior). Note that empirical research so far is largely limited to (arrow) studying the link between the external factor (presenting choices between smaller sooner and larger delayed rewards) and the behavioral outcome (choosing to escape the delay). The role of internal motives deserves more attention.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Simplified overview of which parts of SDT have been studied in ADHD research. The darker the color, the more it has been studied in ADHD research.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Link between need thwarting (of Autonomy, Competence and Relatedness) and externalizing pathologies according to SDT. Adapted from Ryan et al. (2016). Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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