Review method
The database is organised into data modules, each representing a systematic review with its own scope and methodology. The sections below specify the systematic reviews that have contributed data to this database. Please see the details in the respective publications (and pre-registration) for specific details on each search. Also see Coverage to view the distribution of data across topics and life domains.
This methodology will be adjusted in the next update (expected release: Jan 2027) to unify the search procedures across all of these topic areas.
Basic psychological needs
The BPN module is a comprehensive systematic review of basic psychological needs research, covering autonomy, competence, and relatedness, each measured as both satisfaction and frustration, across countries, life domains, and three decades of published research.
- →OSF preregistration: Basic psychological needs mean-levels analysis. osf.io/na5vk ↗
Need support & thwarting
The need support module contains effects on need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviours (autonomy support, competence support, relatedness support, and their thwarting counterparts), integrated from several self-determination theory meta-analyses. Coverage now spans education and physical education (students), workplaces, sport, exercise, health, parenting and general life.
- →Howard, J. L., Slemp, G. R., & Wang, X. (2025). Need support and need thwarting: A meta-analysis of autonomy, competence, and relatedness supportive and thwarting behaviors in student populations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 51(9), 1552–1573. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672231225364
- →Slemp, G. R., Field, J. G., Ryan, R. M., Forner, V. W., Van den Broeck, A., & Lewis, K. J. (2024). Interpersonal supports for basic psychological needs and their relations with motivation, well-being, and performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 127(5), 1012–1037. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000459
- →Mossman, L. H., Slemp, G. R., Lewis, K. J., Colla, R. H., & O'Halloran, P. (2022). Autonomy support in sport and exercise settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17(1), 540–563. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2031252
- →Slemp, G. R., Kern, M. L., Patrick, K. J., & Ryan, R. M. (2018). Leader autonomy support in the workplace: A meta-analytic review. Motivation and Emotion, 42(5), 706–724. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9698-y
Motivation regulation
The motivation regulation module contains effects on the continuum of motivation types defined by self-determination theory (intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation), integrated from prior published meta-analyses. Coverage is strongest in education, physical education and workplaces.
- →Bureau, J. S., Howard, J. L., Chong, J. X. Y., & Guay, F. (2022). Pathways to student motivation: A meta-analysis of antecedents of autonomous and controlled motivations. Review of Educational Research, 92(1), 46–72. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543211042426
- →Van den Broeck, A., Howard, J. L., Van Vaerenbergh, Y., Leroy, H., & Gagné, M. (2021). Beyond intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: A meta-analysis on self-determination theory's multidimensional conceptualization of work motivation. Organizational Psychology Review, 11(3), 240–273. https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866211006173
- →Howard, J. L., Bureau, J. S., Guay, F., Chong, J. X. Y., & Ryan, R. M. (2021). Student motivation and associated outcomes: A meta-analysis from self-determination theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(6), 1300–1323. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620966789
- →Howard, J. L., Chong, J. X. Y., & Bureau, J. S. (2020). The tripartite model of intrinsic motivation in education: A 30-year retrospective and meta-analysis. Journal of Personality, 88(6), 1268–1285. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12570
- →Slemp, G. R., Field, J. G., & Cho, A. S. (2020). A meta-analysis of autonomous and controlled forms of teacher motivation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 121, 103459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103459
- →Vasconcellos, D., Parker, P. D., Hilland, T., Cinelli, R., Owen, K. B., Kapsal, N., Lee, J., Antczak, D., Ntoumanis, N., Ryan, R. M., & Lonsdale, C. (2020). Self-determination theory applied to physical education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(7), 1444–1469. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000420
Aspirations & goal contents
The aspirations module contains effects on intrinsic and extrinsic life goals (goal contents) and their links to wellbeing and ill-being, integrated from a published meta-analysis of the aspirations literature. Goal contents include community, growth and relationships versus wealth, image and fame.
- →Bradshaw, E. L., Conigrave, J. H., Steward, B. A., Ferber, K. A., Parker, P. D., & Ryan, R. M. (2023). A meta-analysis of the dark side of the American dream: Evidence for the universal wellness costs of prioritizing extrinsic over intrinsic goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 124(4), 873–899. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000431
Passion (harmonious & obsessive)
The passion module contains effects on harmonious and obsessive passion from the dualistic model of passion, integrated from a meta-analytic review spanning a decade of passion research across sport, work, education, leisure and gaming.
- →Curran, T., Hill, A. P., Appleton, P. R., Vallerand, R. J., & Standage, M. (2015). The psychology of passion: A meta-analytical review of a decade of research on intrapersonal outcomes. Motivation and Emotion, 39(5), 631–655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-015-9503-0