Edward Lewis Deci, who lived from October 14, 1942 to February 14, 2026, was an American academic and psychologist who was Professor of Psychology and Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Rochester, and director of its Human Motivation Program. He was well known in psychology for his theories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs, which he had been researching for forty years. With Richard Ryan, he was the co-founder of self-determination theory, an influential contemporary motivational theory.
Edward L. Deci
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Source Wikipedia: Edward L. Deciintro of the articleQuote, intro of the article
Edward Lewis Deci (; (October 14, 1942 – February 14, 2026) was an American academic and psychologist who was Professor of Psychology and Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Rochester, and director of its Human Motivation Program.
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Wikipedia: Edward L. Deci
In Group: Motivation and Humanistic Psychologists, LeadQuote, In Group: Motivation and Humanistic Psychologists, Lead
With Richard Ryan, he was the co-founder of self-determination theory (SDT), an influential contemporary motivational theory.
Self-determination theory (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationTheories and Approaches Developed: Self-Determination Theory, LeadQuote, Theories and Approaches Developed: Self-Determination Theory, Lead
It was not until the mid-1980s, when Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan wrote a book entitled Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior, that SDT was formally introduced and recognized as having empirical support.
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