DEFINITION:
The phrase “need for autonomy” refers to the personality trait of feeling a strong desire to act with relative independence.
In practical terms, the need for autonomy translates into a wish to be permitted to rely upon one’s own judgment when carrying out one’s appointed tasks within an organization.
ETYMOLOGY:
The phrase “need for autonomy” was introduced into the literature of personality psychology during the 1980s—notably in the book entitled Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior (1985)—by the University of Rochester (New York) psychologists Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan. This book is also a classic of the subfield of personality psychology known as “self-determination theory (SDT).”
The English noun “need” is attested from the twelfth century. It derives, via the Middle English ned, from the Old English nied or nēd, which is akin to Old High German nōt, meaning “distress” or “need.”
The English noun “autonomy” is attested from the seventeenth century. It is connected to the adjective “autonomous,” which derives from the ancient Greek word autonomos, meaning “independent,” which is composed of two elements: autos, meaning “self” or “oneself,” and nomos, meaning “custom,” “convention,” “ordinance,” or “law.”
DISCUSSION:
As the foregoing etymology indicates, the literal meaning of “autonomy” is “being a law to oneself” or “self-governing” (which, it should be noted, is not at all the same thing s “lawless”).
From a psychological perspective, “autonomy” consists of the feeling of being self-directed, as opposed to being controlled by external forces.
A deep-seated need for autonomy is a useful personality trait for several reasons. Above all, it indicates an individual who is highly motivated, resourceful, and willing to take the initiative.
Thus, the trait known as a “need for autonomy” refers to the strength of an individual’s desire for independence and the freedom to exercise it.
Such a need for independence, or autonomy, may be multi-faceted, involving an individual’s ability to determine such things as the manner, order, pace, and timing of the performance of his or her assigned duties.