Edward L.
Deci, an American psychologist and academic, died on February 14, 2026. He was professor of psychology and Gowen Professor in the social sciences at the University of Rochester, where he also directed the Human Motivation Program.
Deci was known for his research on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs, work he pursued for four decades. With Richard Ryan, he co-founded self-determination theory, an influential contemporary motivational theory. He was born in Palmyra, New York, on October 14, 1942, attended Hamilton College, and earned a mathematics degree in 1964. He later studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and received an MBA in 1967.
Edward Lewis Deci (/ˈdiːsi/; (October 14, 1942 – February 14, 2026) was an American academic and psychologist who was Professor of Psychology and Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Rochester, and director of its Human Motivation Program. He was well known in psychology for his theories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs which he had been researching for 40 years. With Richard Ryan, he was the co-founder of self-determination theory (SDT), an influential contemporary motivational theory.