SRQ-A — Self-Regulation Questionnaire (Motivation Quality)
Ryan & Connell's SDT-based instrument. Measures WHY you do what you do — intrinsic curiosity, identified value, introjected guilt, or external pressure.
Take the free SRQ-A →Origins
Developed by Richard Ryan and James Connell (1989) as an application of Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan 1985). One of the most-cited SDT instruments in academic and career motivation research.
The four motivation types
- Intrinsic — you do it because it's interesting
- Identified — you do it because it aligns with what matters to you
- Introjected — you do it because you'd feel guilty if you didn't
- External — you do it because you have to (rewards, punishments)
Intrinsic + Identified = autonomous motivation (predicts persistence, wellbeing). Introjected + External = controlled motivation (predicts burnout, low satisfaction).
Why it matters for career fit
Someone who's intrinsically motivated to study medicine will persist through the training and be satisfied 10 years in. Someone who's externally-motivated (parent pressure, prestige) is at high risk of burnout. Same career, different outcome — because the motivation quality differs. Our career composite weights this as an authenticity multiplier.
Frequently asked questions
What's the RAI?
Relative Autonomy Index. Weighted sum of the four motivation types: (2×Intrinsic + Identified) − (Introjected + 2×External). Range roughly −100 to +100. Predicts real-world persistence at r ≈ 0.25–0.35.