The (non-)benefit of choosing: If you get what you want it is not important that you chose it

Self-Determination Theory argues that autonomy plays a major role in intrinsic motivation. Autonomy can be operationalized as choice. Whether positive effects on motivation are caused by the mere act of choosing or by confounding variables is still unclear. In this study (N = 299, Mage = 13.1 ± 0.6 years), students could work with two polarizing animals. The first group was allowed to choose (choosing & match), two groups were not. In these...