A world-renowned professor will be speaking on the secrets of motivation in a lecture taking place on campus later this month (30 November, 5.15pm).
Professor Richard Ryan, who is currently on a visiting professorship with the University’s Department for Health funded by the Leverhulme Trust, is from the University of Rochester in New York and co-founder of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT).
The theory explains people’s motivation in terms of the degree to which it is self-regulated or autonomous, rather than being regulated by external rewards or pressures that are experienced as controlling.
In this lecture, which is the first of a series of Leverhulme Lectures, Professor Ryan will provide an overview of SDT’s views on motivation, life goals, and societal pressures, with special emphasis on recent research in the areas of education, health-care, sport, and work. He will also highlight some unique phenomena, such as why video games are so addictive, why people can’t wait for the weekend, and why they don’t listen to their doctors.
Professor Ryan is a clinical psychologist and a widely published researcher and theorist in the areas of human motivation, with over 250 articles, chapters and books. SDT, which he developed with Professor Edward Deci, is an internationally researched theory that has been applied in hundreds of studies within areas such as child development, education, work, relationships, medicine, sports, and cross-cultural psychology.
The lecture will take place in the East Building 1.1 at the University of Bath on Wednesday 30 November at 5.15pm. A complimentary drinks reception with canapés will be held afterwards at 7.15pm.
To reserve your free place please contact Sarah Roberts .