Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
Self-Serving Bias01:29

Self-Serving Bias

Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
Ryan and Deci's Self-Determination Theory01:17

Ryan and Deci's Self-Determination Theory

Self-Determination Theory (SDT), formulated by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, explains that human motivation is driven by three fundamental psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When these needs are met, individuals experience personal growth, intrinsic motivation, and overall well-being.
Autonomy is the need to feel in control of one's actions and decisions. For example, a student who chooses their research topic is likely to be more engaged and motivated than one who is...
Protecting Self-Esteem01:27

Protecting Self-Esteem

Self-esteem, a central component of psychological well-being, is actively maintained through various cognitive and behavioral strategies. Individuals employ specific mechanisms to preserve a positive self-concept and mitigate threats to their self-worth, particularly in contexts involving social evaluation or personal feedback. Four primary techniques are commonly used to sustain self-esteem.Manipulating AppraisalsOne prominent strategy involves manipulating appraisals from others. Individuals...
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification03:00

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model01:29

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Corrigendum to "Investigating the shared factor structure of the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 in non-clinical samples of young adults" [J. Affect. Disord. (2026) 121456].

Journal of affective disorders·2026
Same author

Navigating later-life transitions: Passion, control strategies, and psychological functioning under perceived decline.

Psychology and aging·2026
Same author

Investigating the shared factor structure of the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 in non-clinical samples of young adults.

Journal of affective disorders·2026
Same author

Evaluating the Impact of the How-to Parenting Program on Child Mental Health: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Grade Schools.

Family process·2025
Same author

Children's externalizing behaviors and parenting practices in school-related tasks: Parental basic psychological needs as mediators.

Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)·2025
Same author

Profiles of autonomy support and controlling parenting: Mixing the two predicts lower child-perceived autonomy support.

Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

Self-determination: a buffer against suicide ideation.

Julien S Bureau1, Geneviève A Mageau, Robert J Vallerand

  • 1Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|May 16, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Self-determination acts as a shield for adolescents, reducing the link between negative life events and suicidal thoughts. Highly self-determined teens show a weaker impact from adversity on hopelessness and ideation.

More Related Videos

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
12:55

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Published on: September 27, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
12:55

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Published on: September 27, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Adolescent Mental Health
  • Suicidology

Background:

  • Negative life events are significant risk factors for adolescent suicidal ideation.
  • Hopelessness is a key mediator in the pathway from adversity to suicidal ideation.
  • The role of individual psychological factors in mitigating these risks requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine self-determination as a potential protective factor against the negative effects of life events on adolescent suicide ideation.
  • To investigate whether self-determination moderates the relationship between negative life events, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation.
  • To explore the indirect pathway from negative life events to suicide ideation via hopelessness, and how self-determination influences this.

Main Methods:

  • Multigroup analyses were employed to compare the strength of associations across different levels of self-determination.
  • Adolescent participants were assessed for levels of self-determination, exposure to negative life events, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation.
  • Statistical modeling was used to test the direct and indirect effects.

Main Results:

  • Adolescents with higher self-determination exhibited significantly weaker direct links between negative life events and suicide ideation.
  • The indirect effect of negative life events on suicide ideation, mediated by hopelessness, was also significantly attenuated in highly self-determined adolescents.
  • Self-determination demonstrated a protective role, buffering the impact of adversity.

Conclusions:

  • Self-determination is a crucial protective factor that can mitigate the adverse effects of negative life events on adolescent mental health.
  • Interventions aimed at fostering self-determination may be beneficial in reducing suicide risk among vulnerable adolescents.
  • The findings underscore the importance of psychological resilience in adolescent suicidology.