Crystal Smit

Chapter 5 120 self-determination theory approach can foster an autonomy-supportive climate, which may have enhanced the influence agents’ intrinsic motivation to perform the target behavior. This approach also fits in the Dutch educational system—and probably in most Western countries—as schools are quite autonomous and have educational freedom (Scheerens, Luyten, & Van Ravens, 2011). Furthermore, an autonomy- supportive learning style is stimulated in the schools where children are granted responsibility and freedom in their learning process (Veugelers, 2004, 2007). This approach could also be integrated into existing dietary intake programs at schools, such as the national approach called Gezonde School [Healthy School] that supports schools in promoting a healthy lifestyle for their students (GGD, 2020). Based on our findings, schools could use an autonomy-supportive approach to motivate healthy dietary behaviors among their students. Motivating the Influence Agents to Drink Water Them- selves Implementing the self-determination theory-based techniques in the training appeared to have increased the influence agents’ intrinsic motivation to drink water and their actual water consumption. Providing meaningful rationales (Gillison et al., 2019; Ryan & Deci, 2000; Teixeira et al., 2020). Especially appears to have motivated the influence agents, as they indicated that they enjoyed this part of the training the most and used the provided rationales to promote water drinking among their peers. Apparently, the provided short-term rationales (Chandran & Menon, 2004) were meaningful for the influence agents. In addition, a self-persuasion technique (Aronson, 1999) was also implemented in the training to encourage the influence agents to drink more water. Even though there was no evidence from the open-ended responses for the effectiveness of this technique, it does not necessarily mean it did not have an effect on motivating the influence agents, as most of them did increase their water consumption following the training.