MOTIVATION, SELF-DETERMINATION, AND PERSON-ENVIRONMENT FIT AS PREDICTORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT AMONG NURSING-HOME RESIDENTS

In this report self-determination theory is applied to the regulation of everyday behavior in later life. Nursing home residents with more self-determined motivational orientations displayed higher levels of psychological adjustment. However, the effects of opportunities for self-determination available in the environment were less straightforward and were moderated by motivational styles. Specifically, residents with self-determined motivational styles were better adjusted when they lived in homes that provided opportunities for freedom and choice, whereas residents with less self-determined motivational styles were better adjusted when they lived in high constraint environments. The findings support person-environment fit models of adjustment in old age.