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Towards a wider conception of autonomy support in adolescence: The contribution of reflective inner-compass facilitation to the formation of an authentic inner compass and well-being

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Abstract

Ample research has demonstrated the benefits of basic autonomy supportive practices (e.g., perspective-taking, choice, minimizing-control) for adolescents’ psychosocial functioning. Herein, we posit that there is one additional autonomy supportive practice with specific importance for adolescents’ development: Reflective Authentic Inner Compass facilitation. This practice is posited to contribute to the formation of an Authentic Inner-Compass: An action-guiding schema, informing youth on what they truly value, need, and want, and consisting of two parts: (1) A foundation including authentic values, interests, and life-aspirations, and (2) Autonomous commitment to future-oriented goals and decisions, based on the foundation. A longitudinal study of 18–19 year-old Israeli adolescents showed that perceived Reflective Authentic Inner Compass Facilitation by instructors uniquely predicted (beyond Basic Autonomy Support) adolescents’ experience of having an authentic inner-compass in the military domain, which then predicted autonomous engagement in plan-promoting activities. A cross-sectional study with 16−18 year-old Belgian adolescents showed that perceived Reflective Authentic Inner Compass Facilitation by parents uniquely predicted (beyond Basic Autonomy Support) the experience of having an authentic inner-compass, which then related positively to well-being. Implications of the notion of the authentic inner compass for the conceptualization of autonomy support and the experience of autonomy are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel

    Avi Assor, Noam Yitshaki, Ohad Ezra, Yael Geifman & Gilad Olshtein

  2. Department of Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium

    Bart Soenens

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  1. Avi Assor
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  2. Bart Soenens
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  3. Noam Yitshaki
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  4. Ohad Ezra
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  6. Gilad Olshtein
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Correspondence to Avi Assor or Bart Soenens.

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Assor, A., Soenens, B., Yitshaki, N. et al. Towards a wider conception of autonomy support in adolescence: The contribution of reflective inner-compass facilitation to the formation of an authentic inner compass and well-being. Motiv Emot 44, 159–174 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-019-09809-2

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