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

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality01:27

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality

1.6K
The psychodynamic perspective in psychology asserts that most personality functions operate unconsciously, outside of awareness. This means that the motives and emotions driving behavior often remain hidden, automatically buried in the unconscious mind as a defense mechanism to shield us from psychological distress. According to this theory, the unconscious mind contains thoughts, memories, and emotions that are too disturbing to face directly.
Psychodynamic theorists argue that unconscious...
1.6K
Energy Basics02:27

Energy Basics

47.9K
Chemical reactions, such as those that occur when you light a match, involve changes in energy as well as matter.
47.9K
Defining Psychology01:24

Defining Psychology

8.0K
Psychology is the scientific discipline dedicated to understanding both observable behavior and the internal mental processes underlying such behavior. It aims to comprehend human nature and apply this understanding to solve practical problems, enhance well-being, and improve societal outcomes. An example of psychology's application is the study of prosocial behavior, such as why and under what conditions individuals might help strangers in need. This process involves describing observed...
8.0K
Psychology as a Science01:13

Psychology as a Science

4.0K
Psychology, as a scientific discipline, aims to understand the mind and behavior through rigorous and systematic methods. The foundation of psychological research is evidence-based, relying heavily on the scientific method to derive and validate knowledge. This structured approach ensures that findings are reliable, valid, and applicable to broader contexts.
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...
4.0K
Freudian Psychology01:26

Freudian Psychology

2.6K
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist born in 1856, significantly influenced psychology through his exploration of the unconscious mind. His interest in patients suffering from hysteria and neurosis — conditions without apparent physical causes — led him to theorize the existence of an unconscious mind, a repository for feelings and urges beyond our awareness. Freud's innovative approach included techniques such as dream analysis, free association, and attention to slips of the...
2.6K
Gestalt Psychology01:14

Gestalt Psychology

1.9K
Gestalt psychology, founded by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler, emphasizes the importance of understanding perception as an organized whole. Developed as a counter to Wilhelm Wundt's structuralism, this approach posits that our perceptions are more than just the sum of sensory parts; they are comprehensive wholes where the relationships between parts define the perception. The principle "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" encapsulates this view,...
1.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Physical Education Students Can Create a More Supportive Learning Environment for Themselves: Reciprocal Relations Between Agentic Engagement and Peer Support.

Journal of sport & exercise psychology·2026
Same author

Two Randomized Controlled Trials to Help Teachers Develop Physical Education Students' Course-Specific Grit-Perseverance and Mental Toughness.

Journal of sport & exercise psychology·2024
Same author

Cluster randomized control trial to reduce peer victimization: An autonomy-supportive teaching intervention changes the classroom ethos to support defending bystanders.

The American psychologist·2023
Same author

Autonomy-Supportive Teaching Enhances Prosocial and Reduces Antisocial Behavior via Classroom Climate and Psychological Needs: A Multilevel Randomized Control Intervention.

Journal of sport & exercise psychology·2023
Same author

Overcoming Limitations in Peer-Victimization Research That Impede Successful Intervention: Challenges and New Directions.

Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science·2022
Same author

Identifying the neural substrates of intrinsic motivation during task performance.

Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience·2017

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Perspectives on Neuroscience
26:41

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

5.4K

A neuroscientific perspective on basic psychological needs.

Johnmarshall Reeve1, Woogul Lee2

  • 1Department of Education, Brain and Motivation Research Institute, Korea University.

Journal of Personality
|April 8, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Self-determination theory’s core psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—are linked to specific brain activity. This research integrates self-determination theory with neuroscience, revealing neural correlates of well-being and motivation.

Keywords:
anterior insular cortex (AIC)motivational neurosciencepsychological need satisfactionself-determination theorystriatum

More Related Videos

The Trier Social Stress Test Protocol for Inducing Psychological Stress
09:39

The Trier Social Stress Test Protocol for Inducing Psychological Stress

Published on: October 19, 2011

58.3K
A Neuroscientific Approach to the Examination of Concussions in Student-Athletes
11:32

A Neuroscientific Approach to the Examination of Concussions in Student-Athletes

Published on: December 8, 2014

13.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Perspectives on Neuroscience
26:41

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

5.4K
The Trier Social Stress Test Protocol for Inducing Psychological Stress
09:39

The Trier Social Stress Test Protocol for Inducing Psychological Stress

Published on: October 19, 2011

58.3K
A Neuroscientific Approach to the Examination of Concussions in Student-Athletes
11:32

A Neuroscientific Approach to the Examination of Concussions in Student-Athletes

Published on: December 8, 2014

13.2K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Motivation Science

Background:

  • Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are fundamental psychological needs crucial for personal growth and well-being.
  • Understanding the neural basis of these psychological needs can bridge the gap between SDT and neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the neural underpinnings of SDT-based motivational states and traits.
  • To explore the brain activity associated with the satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Main Methods:

  • Examined neural correlates of motivational states by exposing participants to conditions affecting psychological needs and using fMRI.
  • Assessed motivational traits by correlating self-report measures with brain activity during need-satisfying activities.

Main Results:

  • Intrinsic need satisfaction correlates with striatum-based reward processing and anterior insula-based subjective feelings.
  • Functional coactivation between the striatum and anterior insula is associated with psychological need satisfaction.

Conclusions:

  • Psychological need satisfaction has identifiable neural correlates in brain regions involved in reward and subjective experience.
  • The findings open avenues for integrating SDT constructs with neuroscientific research, suggesting future research directions.