So what about Self-Determination Theory (SDT) that
grew up independently from MI, but bears a certain family
resemblance? There may be a natural fit [11]. MI has
lacked a well-developed theory to rationalize its efficacy.
SDT has focused less on refining specific clinical procedures
for putting it into practice. A marriage may be premature,
but the flirtation is not. The three human hungers
emphasized in SDT - autonomy, relatedness, and competence
- are all directly addressed in MI. More than most
psychotherapies, MI assumes, respects, and implicitly
relies on volition to instigate self-regulation [12]. The
emerging psycholinguistic “mechanisms” of MI [8,13,14]
can be linked to the more general development of volition
and self-regulation through language [15]. The relational
component of MI also appears to be important [8], consistent
with SDT. Supporting autonomy is a key element in
the underlying spirit of MI. SDT and MI, it would seem,
have much to learn from each other.