The Development of Self-Determination During Childhood

Although self-determination is associated with adolescent development, the antecedents and precursors of its development lie within the development of foundational skills during the early childhood years. Adolescents become self-determined as they learn, refine, and practice knowledge, skills, beliefs and actions that enable them to respond to contextual and environmental challenges (opportunities, threats) that energize basic psychological needs and resultant autonomous motivation, stimulating a causal action sequence in which volitional and agentic actions are mediated by action-control beliefs, resulting in experiences of causal agency. This chapter explores the early development of foundational skills that enable children to make choices and express preferences, solve problems, engage in making decisions, set and attain goals, self-manage and self-regulate action, self-advocate, and acquire self-awareness and self-knowledge.