Members in the Media
From: The New York Times

Edward L. Deci, 83, Dies; Found Self-Determination as a Key to Happiness

Edward L. Deci, a psychologist at the University of Rochester whose groundbreaking insights, with his colleague Richard M. Ryan, into what motivates people to do what they do — or not — helped revolutionize fields as disparate as the workplace, education, sports and marketing, died on Feb. 14 at his home in Rochester, N.Y. He was 83.

His nephew Brett Jensen said the cause was complications of dementia.

Working together in the late 1970s, Dr. Deci (pronounced DEE-cee) and Dr. Ryan came up with what they called self-determination theory, a cluster of ideas about motivation and agency based on the view that people are naturally curious and eager to grow, and that they flourish in situations in which they feel autonomous, connected and competent.

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