Background: Understanding intra-individual change is a key question when studying causality between variables. The first objective was to examine, using the technique of true intra-individual change (TIC, Δ) for the first time, the motivational sequence proposed by Vallerand (1997), ΔCo-operative learning → ΔRelatedness → ΔIntrinsic motivation → ΔIntention to do sport.
Method: The sample comprised 372 students divided into two groups, experimental and control. During a 6 month period the experimental group was taught co-operative learning strategies by a suitably trained teacher.
Results: Positive changes were seen in the experimental group in all of the variables examined, while the control group remained unchanged. The results of the TIC suggest accepting the motivational sequence describe.
Conclusions: Co-operative learning may by an appropriate method to improve self-determined motivation according to the model described.