Edward L. Deci

Edward L. Deci
Born(1942-10-14)October 14, 1942
Palmyra, New York, U.S.
DiedFebruary 14, 2026(2026-02-14) (aged 83)
Rochester, New York, U.S.
EducationCarnegie-Mellon University (PhD)
University of Pennsylvania (MBA)
Hamilton College (AB)
Occupations
  • Academic
  • author
  • psychologist
Writing career
GenresMotivation, Psychology, Education, Business

Edward Lewis Deci (/ˈdiːsi/; (October 14, 1942 – February 14, 2026) was an American academic and psychologist who was Professor of Psychology and Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Rochester, and director of its Human Motivation Program. He was well known in psychology for his theories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs which he had been researching for 40 years. With Richard Ryan, he was the co-founder of self-determination theory (SDT), an influential contemporary motivational theory.

Deci was also president and director of the Monhegan Museum in Monhegan, Maine.

Early life and education

Edward Lenris Deci was born in Palmyra, New York, on October 14, 1942. He attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Deci graduated in 1964 with a degree in mathematics. He then studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and earned his Master of Business Administration from there in 1967.

He went on to earn his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in social psychology in 1970. In his dissertation, he explored intrinsic motivation and the way social-contextual factors may have an effect on motivation.

Self-determination theory

Self-determination theory is a macro theory of human motivation that differentiates between autonomous and controlled forms of motivation; the theory has been applied to predict behavior and inform behavior change in many contexts including: education, health care, work organizations, parenting, and sport (as well as many others).

Death

Deci died of complications from dementia in Rochester, New York, on February 14, 2026, at the age of 83.

Publications

Books

Selected works

See also

References

  1. ↑ Edward, Deci; Dandeneau, Stephane. "Professor Edward Deci on Self-Determination Theory". Social PsyClips. Vimeo.
  2. ↑ "Edward L. Deci". deci.socialpsychology.org. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Remembering Edward L. Deci". Monhegan Museum of Art & History. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  4. ↑ Sheehy, Noel; Chapman, Antony J.; Conroy, Wendy A. (2002). Biographical Dictionary of Psychology. ISBN 9780415285612. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  5. ↑ Deci, Edward L.; Ryan, Richard M. (2019), "Deci, Edward and Ryan, Richard", in Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Shackelford, Todd K. (eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–4, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_423-1, ISBN 978-3-319-28099-8, retrieved November 20, 2023
  6. ↑ Risen, Clay (February 26, 2026). "Edward L. Deci, 83, Dies; Found Self-Determination as a Key to Happiness". The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  7. ↑ Praslova, Ludmila N. (February 16, 2026). "To See a Human: Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination". Psychology Today. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  8. ↑ Deci, Edward L.; Ryan, Richard M. (2020), "Deci, Edward and Ryan, Richard", Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1021–1024, retrieved November 20, 2023