The Development of a Questionnaire to Assess Motivation in Stroke Survivors: A Pilot Study (Research Report) (Report)

INTRODUCTION The World Health Organisation defines motivation as "a global mental function--a conscious and unconscious drive--that produces the incentive to act" (W.H.O 2001). Motivation for a particular behaviour can be described along a continuum of self-determination first described by Deci and Ryan (1985) ranging from amotivated behaviour to intrinsically motivated, self-determined behaviour (Deci and Ryan 1985). An individual who is amotivated sees no link between their behaviour and outcomes (Deci and Ryan 1985, Vallerand and O'Connor 1989). The progression from this motivational state is to non self-determined, extrinsically motivated behaviour which is externally regulated, often by rewards or constraints (Deci and Ryan 1985, Vallerand and O'Connor 1989). Individuals that are motivated in this way may undertake a particular behaviour because they feel pressured to do so or to receive some reward, such as praise, approval or a tangible object (Mullan et al 1997).