Abstract

Research has traditionally adopted explicitly-measured motivational constructs related to health behaviours. Recently, research has been augmented with developments in implicit measures and priming of motivation to provide further insight into the antecedents of behaviour. The aim of the present studies (N = 80) was to bring together the two main areas of implicit motivation research, measurement and priming, in relation to self-determination theory using a Solomon four-group design. Implicit measure completion significantly decreased behavioural engagement in the first study. Priming autonomous motivation significantly facilitated, and controlled motivation significantly inhibited, performance in each study. Finally, there was a significant implicit measurement × priming interaction in the first study, such that priming only improved performance in the absence of the implicit measure. This research provides insight into the effects of implicit measurement and priming of motivation and the implications for health interventions.