# THE MOTIVATIONAL BASIS OF CHILDREN'S SELF-REGULATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 1994 · $152,883

## Abstract

This proposal is for a five-year continuation of our current NICHD grant
that has focused on:  the development of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
over middle childhood; the relation of that motivational development to
autonomous self-regulation (as assessed by our perceived autonomy
questionnaire); the relation of adjustment; and the effects of social
contexts (classroom and homes) on the development of autonomous self-
regulation.

The proposed work will employ laboratory experiments, field observations,
and questionnaire studies to explore how the dynamic interaction of
perceived autonomy (i.e., self-regulatory styles) and perceived
control/competence influence motivated action patterns, referred to as
engagement versus disaffection with school.  (Engagement versus
disaffection describes children's actual behavior and affect and is viewed
as a mediator between self-perceptions and educational outcomes).  The
proposed work will also explore children's coping processes as the links
between ongoing engagement and re-engagement following problems, and it
will evaluate the effectiveness of five behavior-focused and five emotion-
focused coping processes.  Further, cross-sectional and longitudinal
analyses will be used to investigate:  (1) social contextual influences on
perceived autonomy, perceived control/competence, engagement versus
disaffection, coping processes, achievement, and adjustment; (2) the
reciprocal influence of active engagement and social contexts (as mediated
by self-perceptions of autonomy and control/competence and by achievement
and adjustment); (3) the individual developmental trajectories of
children's engagement as influenced by the reciprocal interaction of
context and action.  The outcome of this research program would be an
empirically tested, developmentally sensitive conceptual model that
relates:  the social-contextual dimensions of autonomy support, structure,
and involvement; the self-perceptions of autonomy and control/competence;
the differentiated conception of engagement and coping; and the educational
outcomes of achievement and adjustment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2197893
- **Project number:** 5R01HD019914-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **SAM.gov UEI:** F27KDXZMF9Y8
- **Principal Investigator:** EDWARD L. DECI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $152,883
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1986-04-01 → 1995-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2197893

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2197893, THE MOTIVATIONAL BASIS OF CHILDREN'S SELF-REGULATION (5R01HD019914-07). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2197893. Licensed CC0.

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