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Beyond reductionism: Understanding motivational energization requires higher-order constructs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2025

Kennon M. Sheldon Open the ORCID record for Kennon M. Sheldon [Opens in a new window]  and
Richard M. Ryan
Kennon M. Sheldon*
Affiliation:
Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri Sheldonk@missouri.edu missouri.edu
Richard M. Ryan
Affiliation:
Australian Catholic University, Sydney, Australia Richard.Ryan@acu.edu.au selfdeterminationtheory.org Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

We argue that the target article's computational/reductionistic approach to motivation is insufficient to explain the energization of human behavior, because such explanation requires broad consideration of “what people are trying to do.” We illustrate what is gained by retaining (rather than jettisoning) higher-order motivation constructs and show that the authors’ approach assumes, but fails to name, such constructs.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e44
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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