Skip to Main Content (Press Enter) Toggle side nav
Why We Do What We Do by Edward L. Deci and Richard Flaste

Why We Do What We Do

Understanding Self-Motivation

By Edward L. Deci and Richard Flaste

By Edward L. Deci and Richard Flaste

Best Seller
Paperback $17.00

Aug 01, 1996 | ISBN 9780140255263

Why We Do What We Do by Edward L. Deci and Richard Flaste
Paperback $17.00
Aug 01, 1996 | ISBN 9780140255263

Also available from:

Paperback
–

  • Paperback $17.00

    Aug 01, 1996 | ISBN 9780140255263

    Also available from:

Buy the Paperback:

About Why We Do What We Do

What motivates us as students, employees, and individuals?

If you reward your children for doing their homework, they will usually respond by getting it done. But is this the most effective method of motivation? No, says psychologist Edward L. Deci, who challenges traditional thinking and shows that this method actually works against performance. The best way to motivate people—at school, at work, or at home—is to support their sense of autonomy. Explaining the reasons why a task is important and then allowing as much personal freedom as possible in carrying out the task will stimulate interest and commitment, and is a much more effective approach than the standard system of reward and punishment. We are all inherently interested in the world, argues Deci, so why not nurture that interest in each other? Instead of asking, “How can I motivate people?” we should be asking, “How can I create the conditions within which people will motivate themselves?”

“An insightful and provocative meditation on how people can become more genuinely engaged and succesful in pursuing their goals.” —Publisher’s Weekly

About Edward L. Deci

Edward L. Deci, Ph.D., professor of pyschology at the University of Rochester, is director of its human motivation program.

About Richard Flaste

Richard Flaste, former Science and Health Editor of The New York Times, led the team that won the Pulitzer Prize… More about Richard Flaste

Product Details

Category: Inspiration & Motivation | Personal Growth | Philosophy | Psychology

Paperback | $17.00
Published by Penguin Books
Aug 01, 1996 | 240 Pages | 5-1/16 x 7-3/4 | ISBN 9780140255263

Inspired by Your Browsing History

Buy other books like Why We Do What We Do

‹ ›
The Psychology of Winning
The Psychology of Winning
Denis Waitley
Diamond Heart: Elements of the Real in Man
Diamond Heart: Elements of the Real in Man
A. H. Almaas
You Are What You Think
You Are What You Think
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
The Power Is Within You
The Power Is Within You
Louise Hay
Meaningful Coincidence
Meaningful Coincidence
David Richo
The Law of Success
The Law of Success
Napoleon Hill
Calling the Circle
Calling the Circle
Christina Baldwin
Tapping Into Wealth
Tapping Into Wealth
Margaret M. Lynch and Daylle Deanna Schwartz M.S.
La voz del conocimiento
La voz del conocimiento
Don Miguel Ruiz, Janet Mills and Luz Hernandez
Connected Capitalism
Connected Capitalism
David Weitzner
The Miracle of Morning Pages
The Miracle of Morning Pages
Julia Cameron
The Astonishing Power of Emotions
The Astonishing Power of Emotions
Jerry Hicks and Esther Hicks
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Mindful Loving
Mindful Loving
Henry Grayson
Success Is for You
Success Is for You
David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.
Love Your Enemies
Love Your Enemies
Robert Thurman, Robert A.F. Thurman and Sharon Salzberg
The Hoffman Process
The Hoffman Process
Tim Laurence
I don't know
I don’t know
Leah Hager Cohen
Embracing the Shadow
Embracing the Shadow
David Richo
The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues
The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues
Sandra Maitri
Love Your Body
Love Your Body
Louise Hay
Walking Home
Walking Home
Sonia Choquette, Ph.D.
The Power of Divine Eros
The Power of Divine Eros
A. H. Almaas and Karen Johnson
How to Forgive When You Can't Forget
How to Forgive When You Can’t Forget
Charles Klein
Everything Is Workable
Everything Is Workable
Diane Musho Hamilton
Divine Love
Divine Love
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Creating Love
Creating Love
John Bradshaw
The Vortex
The Vortex
Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks
Awakening Joy
Awakening Joy
James Baraz
Wander Woman
Wander Woman
Marcia Reynolds
Spiritual Bypassing
Spiritual Bypassing
Robert Augustus Masters, Ph.D.
How to Live When a Loved One Dies
How to Live When a Loved One Dies
Thich Nhat Hanh

Table Of Contents

Why We Do What We DoOne
Authority and Its Discontents

Part One: The Importance of Autonomy And Competence

Two
I’m Only in It for the Money: Early Experiments on Rewards and Alienation

Three
The Need for Personal Autonomy

Four
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: The Yields of Each

Five
Engaging the World with a Sense of Competence

Part Two: The Role Of Interpersonal Connectedness

Six
The Inner Force of Developement

Seven
When Society Beckons

Eight
The Self in a Social World

Nine
When Society Corrupts

Part Three: How It All Works

Ten
How to Promote Autonomy

Eleven
Promoting Healthy Behavior

Twelve
Being Autonomous Amidst the Controls

Part Four: Conclusion

Thirteen
The Meaning of Human Freedom

Notes on Works Cited
List of Research Articles
Index

Be the first to know!
Great book picks are waiting
Great book picks are waiting
By clicking SIGN UP, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Dismiss
Thanks!
Something awesome is on its way.
Back to Top

Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

Raise kids who love to read

Brightly

Raise kids who love to read
An online magazine for today’s home cook

TASTE

An online magazine for today’s home cook
The eBooks you want at the lowest prices

LitFlash

The eBooks you want at the lowest prices
Read it first. Pass it on!

Read it Forward

Read it first. Pass it on!