comprehensively examine four decades of motivational research in Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development and wellness. Other works by Ryan include the highly ranked, Glued to Games which is a scientific perspective of how video games motivate players.

Ryan has received three lifetime achievement awards for his contributions to the field on motivation, personal meaning, and self and identity, including the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Network on Personal Meaning. He has