A Systematic Review of Self-Determination Theory’s Application in Military and Police Organizations

Self-determination theory (SDT) represents one of the most comprehensive theories of human motivation and psychological growth. SDT theorizes how social contexts may sustain or inhibit human functioning, depending on their ability to fulfill individuals’ basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness). Although there are some reviews and meta-analyses that address the application of the SDT in organizational environments, no systematic review has previously been dedicated to broadly investigating this framework in military and police organizations and training institutes. This work aims to apply this theory in hierarchical settings and provide an overview of the outcomes associated with the principles of SDT. For this purpose, after a full-text analysis of 2147 studies, we selected 29 articles that aligned with our objective. Our analysis focused on outcomes related to well-being, engagement, various types of motivation, positive affect, prosocial behavior, and other constructs. The purpose of the current systematic review is to understand the dynamic interplay between motivation and positive outcomes in military and police contexts through SDT framework.