Tailor-made motivation: working with different causality orientations

In progress-focused work, motivation plays a central role. One of the most important pillars is supporting autonomous motivation. This means that people engage in activities that they find interesting or important. But not everyone responds the same to autonomy support. Why is that? And what can we do when people respond less positively to it? Here, causality orientation theory (COT) – a relatively “forgotten” mini-theory within self-determination theory (SDT) – offers valuable insights. Read here how you can work with individuals with different causality orientations.

What are causality orientations?

The causality orientation theory was developed by Deci and Ryan (1985) as part of their self-determination theory (SDT). This theory describes how people differ in the way they are motivated and regulate their behavior. COT distinguishes three types of orientations. The table below summarizes these three orientations and shows how they manifest themselves in behavior:

Causality orientations	What does this mean?	How does this manifest itself in behavior?
Autonomous Orientation	People with an autonomous orientation act from internal values and interests. They experience their choices as self-determined, both from intrinsic motivation (doing what they like or find interesting) and from internalized motivation (doing what they find important or valuable).	They take initiative, set their own goals, and are open to both positive and negative aspects of their experiences. They respond well to autonomy support, often show perseverance, and remain motivated even in tasks that are not always enjoyable but are valuable.
Controlled Orientation	People with a controlled orientation focus on external stimuli, such as rewards, approval, and social confirmation. They often depend on external sources of motivation.	They seek confirmation and approval from others, are driven by rewards and experience pressure to perform. Autonomy support can help them develop internal motivation.
Impersonal Orientation	People with an impersonal orientation often feel helpless and believe they have little control over their outcomes. They have difficulty with self-regulation and feel demotivated.	They avoid challenges, often show passive behavior and have little confidence in their own abilities. Small steps and positive experiences can help to gradually strengthen their sense of control.

Reflective versus reactive autonomy

In addition to these three orientations, the theory also distinguishes two forms of autonomy:

Reflective autonomy: This type of autonomy is based on internal values and ensures that people align their behavior with what they find interesting and important, which contributes to positive social relationships.
Reactive autonomy: This type of autonomy manifests as resistance to external control and can lead to negative social interactions because it is focused on avoiding control rather than pursuing personal values.

To effectively apply these insights, it is important for counselors to recognize what form of autonomy their clients experience.

In reflective autonomy, they can enhance autonomous motivation by connecting with the client's personal values and interests, offering freedom of choice, and encouraging self-determination.
In the case of reactive autonomy, it is essential to understand the causes of resistance to external control. Caregivers can reduce feelings of pressure by showing empathy, avoiding controlling language, and creating a safe environment in which the client feels heard.

By guiding clients from reactive to reflective autonomy, they bring their behavior more in line with their own values, leading to a better quality of autonomous motivation.

The importance of autonomy support for different causality orientations

Autonomy support is a universally recommended approach within self-determination theory. It supports the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness, which has a positive effect on people with different orientations:

For people with a controlled orientation: Autonomy support can help them become less dependent on external stimuli, so that they gradually develop a more autonomous orientation. This increases their well-being, involvement, and confidence in their own abilities.
For individuals with an impersonal orientation, autonomy support can increase their sense of control and self-confidence. Through positive experiences, they discover that their efforts have meaning. This strengthens their motivation and helps them to deal with challenges more resiliently.

Practical tips for working with different causality orientations

Depending on the causality orientation of the client, the degree and pace of autonomy support can vary. For autonomous orientations, the focus is primarily on supporting their own interests and values. For controlled and impersonal orientations, autonomy support can be introduced gradually. However, the goal remains the same: to build sustainable autonomous motivation.

Aspect	Controlled orientation	Impersonal orientation
Initial situation	Focused on external incentives, such as rewards and approval	Feelings of helplessness and little confidence in one's own abilities
Goal	Developing an autonomous orientation	Building self-confidence and control
First step	Give small choices, build responsibility gradually	Focus on achievable progress to build competence and confidence
Recognition and appreciation	Recognition of own choices and efforts	Concrete feedback on their progress and efforts
Reflection on progress	Future-oriented questions to explore their own desired progress	Reflection on concrete progress, with less emphasis on the long term
Building autonomy	Step-by-step increase in responsibility	Gradual autonomy support after development of basic trust
Focus on motivation versus control	Promoting autonomous motivation	Strengthening sense of control through successes

Conclusion

Causality orientation theory offers valuable insights for tailoring autonomy support to different orientations. This increases the effectiveness of progress-focused work. Autonomy support can not only strengthen motivation in people who ask for it, but also in people who tend to seek their motivation externally or have little confidence in their own abilities. By providing appropriate support based on their orientation, we help clients build autonomy, resilience and internal motivation, and promote meaningful progress.

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