Autonomous motivation in medical education.

Intrinsic motivation was a reining concept for many years in self-determination theory (SDT) research. Since the last 10 years, the concept of autonomous motivation is used more commonly by some researchers. Autonomous motivation means motivation arising out of genuine interest or personal endorsement or valuing of an activity. Autonomous motivation is a combination of intrinsic motivation and identified regulation type of extrinsic motivation. This article aims to clarify and put forth the concept and use of autonomous motivation in the practice of medical education.