Search Results (181)

Previous cross-sectional studies have explored associations between basic psychological need satisfaction, fear of missing out (FoMO), and depression. However, the longitudinal nature of these relationships and their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to utilize longitudinal tracking methods to investigate the relationships among basic psychological need satisfaction, fear of missing out, and depression in university students. Longitudinal data collection was conducted among 750 university students (mean age = 18.12 ± 0.73) in China over two years at three time points. Participants were investigated using paper–pencil survey versions of the Basic Psychological Needs Scale, the Fear of Missing Out scale, and The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The results revealed that, over the two-year study period, basic psychological need satisfaction (β = −6.239, p < 0.001) among university students demonstrated a declining trend, while FoMO (β = 1.360, p < 0.001) and depression (β = 3.602, p < 0.001) demonstrated an upward trend. The initial levels and development rates of basic psychological need satisfaction directly predicted the initial levels (β = −0.236, p = 0.031) and development rates of depression (β = −0.144, p < 0.001; β = −0.181, p = 0.005). The initial level of FoMO mediated the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction and depression (β = −0.132, p = 0.007; β = −0.104, p = 0.036), and this mediating effect did not exhibit significant gender differences. These findings help to reveal the temporal relationships among the three variables from a dynamic perspective, providing important practical guidance for mental health education in universities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase marked by rapid cognitive, emotional, and social changes that influence how individuals experience psychological energy and exhaustion. Self-Determination Theory recently proposed a dual-process model, based on two distinct, yet related, constructs: Subjective Vitality, associated with well-being and positive health outcomes, and Subjective Depletion, associated with illbeing and negative emotions. Since, to date, no study has investigated vitality and depletion during adolescence, this study aims to validate the Subjective Vitality/Depletion Scale (SVDS) in a large sample of adolescents. Methods: A total of 1111 Italian adolescents (Mage = 14.49, SDage = 1.49; 48% females) completed the SVDS and other validated self-report measures. Specifically, the psychometric properties of the SVDS across biological sex and age groups and latent mean differences across these groups were assessed. Results: Findings supported the dimensionality of the SVDS with two correlated factors, and its construct validity through associations with positive and negative affect and basic psychological needs satisfaction. Full invariance for the SVDS was achieved across biological sex and age groups. Latent mean analyses indicated that males reported higher levels of vitality compared to females (Cohen’s d = 0.46), with no significant differences for depletion; older adolescents reported lower levels of vitality (d = −0.23) and higher levels of depletion (d = 0.20) compared to younger adolescents. Conclusions: These findings support the SVDS as a valid and reliable instrument for assessing energy-related experiences in adolescence. The results suggest meaningful sex differences and a potential developmental trend of declining subjective energy from early to later adolescence. Full article

Promoting active lifestyles among adolescents is essential due to their short-, medium-, and long-term contributions to young people’s holistic development and overall health. Beyond physical well-being, Physical Education foster physical activity, autonomy, social connectedness, motivation and emotional well-being, thus constituting a key dimension of quality education. Background/Objectives: The “Estilos de Vida Activos (EVA)” project is a school-based intervention designed to foster adolescent agency and motivation in adopting active habits. Grounded in the salutogenic model, self-determination theory, and the health-based Physical Education pedagogical model, this protocol describes the design and implementation strategies of a participatory intervention in secondary schools. Methods: A variety of research methods will be used to collect quantitative and qualitative data before, during, and after the intervention. Validated questionnaires will assess active commuting, socioeconomic status, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, motivation, levels and intention to engage in physical activity. Qualitative data include interviews with teachers, Photovoice sessions with students, observation notes, and programme materials. Intervention: The EVA intervention is collaboratively developed by students, teachers, and researchers using participatory action research. It includes needs analysis, participatory activities, and co-design of tailored physical activity programmes. The intervention is described using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist (TIDieR) to enhance transparency and replicability. Conclusions: This protocol presents a theoretically grounded and participatory approach to school-based health promotion. By integrating educational and collaborative strategies, it offers a replicable model that promotes adolescent active lifestyles, from contextual relevance, and pedagogical coherence, serving as a guide for inclusive and sustainable interventions in school settings. Full article

Background: This study aimed to examine the association between different exercise goals and their impact on subjective well-being (SWB) variables, namely, positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and satisfaction with life (SWL), as well as to explore the mediating role of basic psychological needs (BPNs) in this relationship within a sample of Portuguese older adults. Methods: The sample study constituted 298 individuals (233 females, 65 males), aged between 60 and 90 years (M = 68.43; SD = 6.48). Through model four of the Process macro for SPSS version 3.5, a simple mediation analysis was carried out. Results: The results show that BPNs mediated the relationship between goal content for exercise health management and PA and SWL; goal content for exercise skill development and PA; goal content for exercise image, PA, and SWL; and goal content for exercise social affiliation and PA. Conclusions: Thus, we can conclude that BPNs stand out as a relevant mediator in the relationship between goal content for exercise and SWB variables, which reinforces the importance of BPNs in SWB promotion in the older population. Full article

Purpose: Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Determination Theory, this study analyzed gender differences in the relationships between teachers’ sense of efficacy, basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration (competence), and life satisfaction among Physical Education (PE) pre-service teachers. Method: A sample of 368 PE pre-service teachers (Mage = 23.41 ± 2.37; 48.1% women) participated. A multi-group structural equation modeling approach was used. Results: Male participants reported significantly higher levels of competence satisfaction compared to their female counterparts. Teaching efficacy positively predicted life satisfaction, both directly and indirectly via competence satisfaction. Notably, the indirect effects were stronger among women, while direct effects were observed only in the female group. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the key role of competence satisfaction in explaining how teaching efficacy influences life satisfaction in pre-service teachers. Gender differences suggest that while both men and women benefit from feeling competent, the pathways differ, highlighting the importance of gender sensitive strategies in teacher education programs. Full article

Adolescents’ psychological well-being results from the interaction between individual traits, such as optimism and perfectionism, and contextual factors. According to the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the living environment can promote well-being by fulfilling basic psychological needs. Perceived parental support or control may influence the satisfaction of these needs and the development of dispositional traits, with significant consequences on well-being. This study, conducted on a sample of Italian adolescents (N = 500, M_age = 18; SD = 0.7), aimed to explore the mediating role of dispositional optimism and both adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in the relationship between perceived parental support and control and adolescents’ well-being. Structural Equation Model (SEM) results showed that optimism mediated the relationship between paternal support and well-being (β = 0.029, p = 0.05), while adaptive perfectionism mediated the effects of both maternal and paternal support on well-being (β = 0.062, p < 0.001; β = 0.038, p = 0.001). In contrast, maternal control had an indirect negative impact on well-being through dispositional optimism and maladaptive perfectionism (β = −0.045, p = 0.012; β = −0.040, p = 0.009), whereas paternal control was not significant. These findings underscore the importance of supportive parenting in promoting adolescent psychological well-being and the risks associated with excessive control. Full article

Introduction: The main purpose of this study was to test a hierarchical model of motivation that integrates Achievement Goal Theory and Self-Determination Theory to explain and predict exercise adherence. Method: In total, 2180 exercisers (1020 female, 1160 male) aged between 18 and 60 years, from different gyms and health clubs, completed several scales validated in exercise settings, regarding perceived motivational climate, basic psychological need satisfaction, behavioral regulation, and exercise adherence. For the last measure, weekly computer access to a control system over a 6-month period before and after data collection was consulted. Results: Through structural equation models (SEM), it was verified that (1) task-involving climate positively predicted basic psychological needs. In turn, the satisfaction of these needs predicted autonomous motivation, which led to a positive prediction of adherence; (2) a small variation in exercise adherence was explained by the motivational model under analysis. Nevertheless, models significantly improved their analytical power when past adherence was inserted in the model increasing the explained variance in future behavior from 9.2% to 64%. Conclusions: In conclusion, autonomous motivation can predict people’s exercise adherence, and past behavior increases that predictive effect. The present study brings scientific evidence to the popular saying “tell me what you’ve done and, and I’ll predict what you’ll do”. Full article

The transition towards adulthood represents a complex period in which the development of personal identity culminates in young adults, whilst, at the same time, many undertake university studies in order to access the job market. The aim of the present study was to analyse the associations between self-concept, motivation, and learning strategies in the Spanish university context using structural equations to examine sex as a modifying factor. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and ex post facto study was conducted with a representative sample of 2736 students. The results revealed a positive association between academic self-concept and the three basic psychological needs, with the needs of autonomy and competence being of particular importance amongst the males. It was determined that the satisfaction of all of the needs favoured the development of learning strategies in both genders, with the exception of the need for relatedness, which was not relevant. Finally, it was demonstrated that the females employed better elaboration strategies, whilst the males were better able to regulate effort. It can, therefore, be concluded that the promotion of self-determined motivation favours the development of a positive self-image and learning strategies, with it being crucial for students to be intrinsically motivated. This may help university students avoid dropping out from degree courses. Full article

Managers often need to stay motivated and effectively motivate others. Therefore, they should rely on evidence-based interventions to effectively motivate and self-motivate. This research investigated how self-determination theory-based interventions affect employees’ motivation dynamics and motivational consequences within short time frames (i.e., within an hour, within a few weeks or months) in two empirical studies. Study one focused on assessing the effectiveness of a one-day training workshop in helping to improve managers’ work motivation, basic psychological needs satisfaction/frustration, subordinates’ motivation, and perceptions of managers’ needs-supportive/thwarting behaviors within a few weeks. Results support the effectiveness of the training, as managers were rated by their direct subordinates as having fewer needs-thwarting behaviors and reported self-improvement in needs satisfaction and frustration six weeks after completing the training program. Study two used the mean and covariance structure analysis and tested the impact of three types of basic psychological needs-supportive/thwarting and control conditions (3 × 2 × 1 factorial design) on participants’ situational motivation, vitality, and general self-efficacy for playing online word games within 30 min. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the scalar measurement invariance, then latent group mean comparison results show consistently lower controlled motivation across the experimental conditions. During a quick online working scenario, the theory-based momentary intervention effectively changed situational extrinsic self-regulation in participants. Supplementary structural equation modeling (SEM; cross-sectional) analyses using experience samples supported the indirect dual-path model from basic needs satisfaction to vitality and general efficacy via situational motivation. We discussed the theoretical implications of the temporal properties of work motivation, the practical implications for employee training, and the limitations. Full article

Feeling autonomous is a fundamental psychological need for personal growth, integration, development, mental health, and overall well-being. This need is closely linked to the level of support perceived by the environment. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Perceived Multidimensional Autonomy Support in Physical Education Scale (MD-PAS-PE) for Turkish seventh–tenth grade students. The participants comprised a total of 1092 students (606 girls and 486 boys). For obtaining data, the Multi-Dimensional Perceived Autonomy Support Scale for Physical Education, the Basic Psychological Needs Scale in Physical Education, and the Personal Information Form to identify the participants were used. In this study, internal consistency, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), criterion validity, and measurement invariance for gender and age groups statistical analyses were used for data analysis. The extracted factors explained 54.47% of the variance among the 15 items. A fifteen-item, three-factor structure was implemented, as in the original language. In addition, the structural equation model results indicated that cognitive, procedural, and organizational autonomy support sub-dimension scores significantly predicted basic psychological need satisfaction scores. Measurement invariance was examined with gender and age variables, and invariance was observed according to these two factors. It was concluded that the data obtained from the form adapted into Turkish were similar to the original scale, explained by the theoretical structure, and was a valid and reliable scale for measuring autonomy perceptions of seventh–tenth grade students. Full article

Parental and peer support has been documented as an important factor in physical activities among high school students. Likewise, coach support has an important impact on physical activity among high school students. Meanwhile, many studies show that basic psychological needs have an essential effect on perceived autonomy and physical activity. As such, this study, using self-determination theory, aimed to explore the mediating role of basic psychological needs on physical activity among high school students in China. The Sport Climate Questionnaire, Psychological Need Satisfaction in Exercise Scale—Physical Activity, and the three-item Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 were employed to gauge responses from 736 high school students (15–18 years old). A structural equation model was employed to test the mediating effect. The researchers found a significant positive effect of perceived coach support on basic psychological need satisfaction. Basic psychological need satisfaction was also found to be a significant predictor of physical activity. Surprisingly, the results showed that perceived coach support negatively influences physical activity. As such, an indirect mediating effect is established. Basic psychological needs had an indirect mediating effect and could reduce the negative effect of coach support on physical activity engagement. Full article

While environmental motivation research has investigated several factors that can facilitate and promote the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors, questions remain on how individuals can be brought to change their behaviors and habits. In the current study, we draw on attachment theory and self-determination theory to better understand why motivational interventions meant to increase pro-environmental behaviors are ineffective for some individuals. Using a person-centered approach, our analysis uncovered four latent profiles characterized by varying levels of attachment insecurity and basic psychological need satisfaction. Further analysis suggests that these four profiles are associated with distinct motivational pathways in the environmental domain. Our results suggest that self-determined motivation is a direct predictor of pro-environmental behaviors solely for individuals from the secure attachment and high-need satisfaction profile. This association was not observed in individuals arising from insecure attachment and low-need satisfaction profiles, suggesting that the association between motivation and pro-environmental behaviors commonly reported in the literature might be moderated by one’s social environment. Implications for motivation researchers and policymakers are discussed, such as the relevance of considering attachment when designing motivational interventions in the environmental domain. Full article

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between students’ perceptions of the quality of different aspects of higher education institutions, satisfaction of their psychological needs, and satisfaction with their studies at the higher education institution in question. This research involved 404 students of humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies. A Croatian version of the HedPERF Scale was used to examine the perceived level of quality of the higher education institution and the Basic Psychological Needs in the Academic Context Scale to check if students’ basic psychological needs were satisfied in the academic context. The obtained results suggest that satisfying students’ psychological needs at higher education institutions is important for their overall satisfaction with their academic studies but also that this relationship is mediated by the perceived quality of different aspects of the higher education institution in question, at least when it comes to the needs for autonomy and relatedness. A positive connection was also confirmed between satisfaction of students’ psychological needs and perceived level of quality, and the perceived level of quality of and satisfaction with academic studies. The research results confirm the importance of investing in the quality of higher education institutions, in different aspects, to improve students’ well-being and satisfaction with their academic experience, which in turn will positively affect their academic outcomes. Full article

This study aims to explore the importance of basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPNS) and mindfulness of university students in their career adaptability (CA), career self-efficacy (CSE), and future career choice (CC). The sample consisted of 1026 undergraduate students, of which 495 (48.2%) were female and 531 (51.8%) male, from three public universities in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The assessments, such as the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form, the Career Adapt-Ability Short Form Five Scale, the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale, and the Career Choice scale instruments were used. Findings from a parallel mediation model showed that both CA and CSE had a direct positive effect on the BPNS of university students. Additionally, this study found that both BPNS and mindfulness had a substantial and positive direct effect on the students’ CC. Importantly, we found that both CA and CSE significantly and indirectly predicted the future CC through BPNS and mindfulness. In addition, BPNS and mindfulness also partially mediate the relationship between CA, CSE, and the students’ future CC. Importantly, we found that mindfulness and BPNS fully and partially mediated the relationship between CA, CSE, and CC. These results support the notion that both psychological constructs (BPNS and mindfulness) play a crucial role in explaining the relationship between CA, CSE, and CC. By enhancing students’ BPNS and mindfulness, institutions can empower students to make informed decisions about their future career paths, ultimately nurturing their personal and professional growth. Full article

Enhancing the career adaptability of university students is a practical necessity for addressing the challenge of student employment. This study explores the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career adaptability among university students based on Basic Psychological Need Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory and constructs a corresponding chain mediation model. A survey was conducted among 635 university students from six provinces across China. The results indicate the following findings: (1) grit partially mediates the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career adaptability among university students; (2) career decision-making self-efficacy also partially mediates this relationship; and (3) grit and career decision-making self-efficacy serve as chain mediators in the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career adaptability. This study provides empirical support and significant guidance for enhancing the career adaptability development of university students. Full article