Edward L. Deci (; born 1942) is a professor of Psychology and Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Rochester, and director of its Human Motivation Program. He is well known in psychology for his theories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs which he has been researching for 40 years. With Richard Ryan, he is the co-founder of self-determination theory (SDT), an influential contemporary motivational theory. Deci is also Director of the Monhegan Museum in Monhegan, Maine. Source: Wikipedia (en)