- Follow Us
New User? Get Started
“Autonomy” refers to the opportunity for self-management and choice. Erik Erikson believed that the need for autonomy is innate in all human beings and that a frustration of this need during childhood or adolescence would lead to maladaptive behavior and neurosis. Subsequently, Richard deCharms argued that all humans strive for “personal causation”, or in other words, to be the origin of their own behaviors. According to deCharms, when an individual is able to make decisions regarding things that effect them, that person is said to have an internal locus of causality. An individual acting under direction from another person has an external locus of causality. He hypothesized that an internal local of causality would lead to stronger motivation and greater engagement. Richard Steinberg has emphasized adolescence as a time where the need for autonomy, particularly from parents and teachers, is particularly strong.
Motivation in school is higher when a classroom situation is perceived as supportive of the need for autonomy, or, in other words, acknowledges the student’s personal point of view and conveys choice in satisfying requirements. High-autonomy situations stimulate student motivation, engagement, and persistence, which in turn results in higher levels of achievement and lower dropout rates. In contrast, a controlling approach in the classroom creates a reduced perception of autonomy, which can interfere with student learning and creativity, especially with regards to more complex tasks.
Autonomy has also been found to be essential to healthy psychological development. Less autonomy is associated with higher levels of anxiety and negative coping strategies, whereas higher levels of autonomy are associated with positive coping strategies. Lack of autonomy in childhood and adolescence can lead to various forms of psychopathology and increased participation in high-risk behaviors.
