Self-determination theory (SDT) differentiates motivation, with autono- mous and controlled motivations constituting the key, broad distinction. Research has shown that autonomous motivation predicts persistence and adherence and is advantageous for effective performance, espe- cially on complex or heuristic tasks that involve deep information pro- cessing or creativity. Autonomous motivation is also reliably related to psychological health. Considerable research has found interpersonal contexts that facilitate satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness to enhance autonomous moti- vation, which comprises intrinsic motivation and well-internalized ex- trinsic motivation. SDT has been applied in varied cultures and in many life domains, and research is reviewed that has related autono- mous and controlled motivation to education, parenting, work, health care, sport, and close relationships.