Self-Determination Theory and Nonlinear Pedagogy: An Approach to Exercise Professionals' Strategies on Autonomous Motivation

Promoting adherence to exercise, especially in along-term, remains a critical issue in fitness and wellness (F&W) context. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Non-Linear Pedagogy (NLP) have progressively established themselves as valid backgrounds for intervention in F&W context. Analysing the assumptions of both, seems to reveal points of contact and complementarities yet to be explored through experimental research. Autonomy, competence and relatedness are basic psychological needs (BPN) that motivational strategies based on SDT seek to satisfy, aiming autonomous self-regulation for exercise. NLP practice is centered in the performer-environment system exhibiting tasks that should be representative of the context of performance with adaptive variability; tasks should be simplified rather than decomposed. Task, individual and environmental constraints are considered and manipulated to guide the performer through a learning process according to the individual differences, promoting cooperation and stimulating decision. Research has demonstrated the determining importance of the type of exercise professionals' motivational practices, leading to a positive or negative impact on practitioners. These strategies may involve the diagnostic of action capabilities, and the use of Motivational Interview (MI) principles to facilitate the goal-setting process, manipulating task constraints, and using instructions as task constraints. The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss possibilities on how NLP can target autonomous motivation, based on SDT, resulting in a landscape of affordances for exercise and daily activities that promote autonomous motivation in the F&W context. To our better knowledge, NLP has never been considered neither in the scope of F&W, or as a facilitator of autonomous motivation.