Self-Determination Theory
positioning
ClaimSDT has autonomy-support as design heuristic. Nobody has specified autonomy as optimization objective for an adaptive system or connected SDT autonomy to control-theoretic controllability/observability.
Status: SHARED VALUES, different engineering depth.
What SDT provides
Autonomy-support is everywhere as design heuristic. Moving toward computational formalization (Deterding 2025). Autonomy, competence, and relatedness as basic psychological needs.
What SDT does not provide
- Nobody has specified autonomy as optimization objective for an adaptive system
- Nobody has connected SDT autonomy to control-theoretic controllability/observability
- SDT treats autonomy as a psychological need, not as a neurobiologically grounded capacity that degrades under stress
Bridge
The bridge from SDT to engineering is open. SDT provides the motivational framework; this work provides the neurobiological grounding and the control-theoretic operationalization.