A Self-Determination Perspective on Self-Regulation across the Life Span

As a core component of human functioning, self-regulation has persisted as a focus of psychological inquiry since the field’s inception. The study of self-regulation plays a central role in understanding the development of self-determination, particularly within the context of initiating and sustaining agentic action. This chapter examines the role of self-regulation in self-determination, explores uses of the self-regulation construct in psychology, and examines how theories of self-regulation relate to and differ from self-determination and, specifically, Self-Determination Theory. The chapter examines a continuum of regulation ‘types’ that range from extrinsically motivated to intrinsically and autonomously motivated, then concludes with a discussion of the development of self-regulation across multiple age spans.