Maarten Vansteenkiste is a Professor in Psychology at the Ghent University in Belgium. Throughout his work he tries to map out the reasons that motivate people’s behavior and the goals and ambitions that people pursue throughout their lives.

He examines whether particular motives and goals are more likely to be associated with enduring persistence, high quality performance, personal wellness (e.g., low depression), a smoother identity development, and more adjusted social functioning (e.g., low prejudice), because these motives and goals are more conducive to people’s basic psychological needs.

You can read more on the TOH-site: Optimal Development and Wellness.