McGill University's

The Human Motivation Lab at McGill University pursues two lines of research grounded in Self-Determination Theory.

 

The first line explores how people determine which goals and guidelines to internalize from their socio-cultural surroundings and how they motivate themselves to pursue these valued goals. This research emphasizes the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness—key components of SDT—in the processes of goal setting, self-regulation, and internalization. We also examine the maladaptive consequences of extrinsic rewards or controlling introjections. We also look at the lifecycle of personal goals, from goal setting and active pursuit to regulating conflicts with goals and letting go of unfeasible pursuits.

 

The lab has also expanded to conduct community-oriented research to better understand how racial and cultural inequities impact health behavior and well-being in ethnic minority groups. Research has involved local community collaborations,such as the Black Community Resource Centre. In both lines of research, our methods include self-report, experimental techniques, and longitudinal designs. Our research has been published in Journal of Personality, Health Psychology, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

 

For more information on our research, please refer to the Publications page.