Self-Determination Theory and Perceptions of Spiritual Growth

Abstract

College students have reported desire for contextual help cultivating religious and spiritual need fulfillment, yet little is known about how environmental factors achieve this outcome. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, a sequential, explanatory, mixed methods design utilized survey responses of undergraduate students enrolled in a Christian evangelical university (n = 869). Participants answered questions about faith maturity, autonomy, support, and religious pressures in the university environment, and narrated descriptions of their own spiritual growth and the university’s role in that process. Hierarchical regression found that autonomy support more strongly predicted vertical faith maturity when religious pressures were lower. Narrative descriptions were analyzed according to level of internalization, utilizing the self-determination continuum, and reported informational and controlling aspects in the environment. Qualitative results corroborated quantitative results regarding the importance of autonomy support. Findings suggest the importance of Christian universities engaging in approaches to fulfill the diverse and potentially evolving psychological needs of students, including competence, relatedness, and autonomy needs, according to Self-Determination Theory. College administrators are advised to proactively support the cultivation of warm and safe environments demonstrative of religious values and to allow for religious questioning.

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