In this episode, Matt chats with Martin Lynch about the motivational effects motivation— specifically SDT— has on culture. We explore how different cultures may experience the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs from the theory. How do different cultural perspectives represent a concept like autonomy? Are cultures possibly undermining in of themselves? How can they be supportive of needs? How are universal needs like autonomy, competence, and relatedness understood, experienced, and represented in oppressive and authoritarian cultures?

Martin shares his own research work in cross-cultural motivation on these topics and more.

Matt mentions the life of Dmitri Shostakovich. The two references he mentions are Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich and Elizabeth Wilson’s Shostakovich: A Life Remembered.

We take a brief detour to discuss some of the limitations associated with self-scoring assessments and surveys used in research; and how those researchers in SDT mitigate some of those effects using processes like observational research and meta-analysis. Combining self-scoring and observational techniques, Martin talks a bit about experience sampling. You can learn more about it here: https://academy.pubs.asha.org/2014/11/experience-sampling-method/

Matt references the conversation he had in a previous YOU OUGHTA KNOW episode with psychologist, Maarten Vansteenkiste. You can find it here: https://ldaccelerator.com/sdtpodcast.

Martin mentions the concept of Filial piety. You can learn more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filial_piety#:~:text=of%20one's%20parents.-,Filial%20piety%20means%20to%20be%20good%20to%20one's%20parents;%20to,the%20affection%20of%20its%20parents/

Matt was talking about Barbara Ilardi. You can learn more about her and her work here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barbara-Ilardi. We couldn’t find any specific work from her about Feedback… so Matt’s memory was faulty. However, Barbara’s work is nonetheless super and worth a dig into.

A sampling of some of the references Martin alludes to are:

Chirkov, V., Ryan, R. M., Kim, Y., & Kaplan, U. (2003). Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: A self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 97–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97

Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., Gagné, M., Leone, D. R., Usunov, J., & Kornazheva, B. P. (2001). Need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in the work organizations of a former Eastern bloc country: A cross-cultural study of self-determination. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(8), 930–942. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167201278002

Lynch, M. F., La Guardia, J. G., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). On being yourself in different cultures: Ideal and actual self-concept, autonomy support, and well-being in China, Russia, and the United States. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 290-304.

Nalipay, M.J.N., King, R.B. and Cai, Y. (2020), Autonomy is equally important across East and West: Testing the cross-cultural universality of self-determination theory. Journal of Adolescence, 78: 67-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.12.009

Sheldon, K. M., Elliot, A. J., Ryan, R. M., Chirkov, V., Kim, Y., Wu, C., et al. (2004). Self-concordance and subjective well-being in four cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 209–223.

Martin Lynch, a clinical psychologist, joined the Warner School faculty at the University of Rochester in 2008, teaching in the counseling and counselor education and human development programs. His research focuses on the effects of social context on human motivation, personality development, and well-being, with an emphasis on Self-Determination Theory. His current research interests include cross-cultural issues in the role of autonomy support; the sources of within-person variability in trait self-concept, well-being, and life satisfaction; motivation for emigration; and adjustment of international students. He is also involved in applied motivational research in the domains of education and counseling and psychotherapy. Additionally, Martin is a nationally certified counselor (NCC) and a licensed clinical psychologist in New York State.

You can find Martin here:

https://www.warner.rochester.edu/directory/martin-lynch

https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-lynch-7b244639/