Basic psychological need theory: Advancements, critical themes, and future directions

Work Values and Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Basic Psychological Needs at Work

This study investigated the mediating role of basic psychological needs at work in the association from work values to job satisfaction. Using a four-factor model of work values, we tested how each work value factor was related to basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration at work. The sample included 228 workers (72% female) surveyed twice over a 7-week interval. Results showed that need satisfaction at work was positively predicted by intrinsic and social work values and negatively predicted by extrinsic work values. Need frustration at work was positively predicted by extrinsic and status work values and negatively predicted by intrinsic work values. Also, need satisfaction fully mediated the relationship from intrinsic, extrinsic, and social work values to job satisfaction. These findings suggest that organizational and career development interventions aiming to enhance employees need satisfaction at work should aim to promote growth-oriented work values endorsement rather than instrumental work values.

Effects of Basic Psychological Needs on Resilience: A Human Agency Model

Academic resilience refers to the ability to recover and achieve high academic outcomes despite environmental adversity in the academic setting. At the same time, self-determination theory (SDT) offers a human agency model to understand individuals' autonomy to achieve in various fields. The present longitudinal study explored the factors influencing resilience from the analytical framework of SDT to investigate how basic psychological needs strengthen students' resilience. A mediation model was proposed that resilience may mediate the relationship between basic psychological needs and academic performance. The results from 450 10th grade Chinese students showed that three basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) facilitate academic resilience; academic resilience thus increases subsequent academic performance after controlling for previous test scores.

Is self-determination good for your effectiveness? A study of factors which influence performance within self-determination theory

Despite the vast body of studies within self-determination theory, the impact of factors which influence performance in experimental paradigm is still underresearched. The aim of the two studies presented in this paper was to investigate the impact of basic psychological needs on performance with the simultaneous presence of external incentives. Study 1 tested whether the satisfaction of competence and relatedness during task performance (while external incentives were present) can impact individual’s performance. Study 2, on the other hand, investigated whether the basic psychological needs and provision of external incentives can impact an individual’s performance. Moreover, in both studies the mechanisms behind the need–performance relationship was checked. Our results showed that out of the three basic needs, competence had the strongest positive impact on performance, which was partially mediated by the subjective evaluation of the levels of difficulty and intrinsic motivation. The weak relationship between relatedness and task performance was fully mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation.

Feeling Socially Connected and Focusing on Growth: Relationships With Wellbeing During a Major Holiday in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Numerous major holidays celebrate socially gathering in person. However, in major holidays that happened during the pandemic, desires to nurture relationships and maintain holiday traditions often conflicted with physical distancing and other measures to protect against COVID-19. The current research sought to understand wellbeing during American Thanksgiving in 2020, which happened 8months into the COVID-19 pandemic, after months of physical distancing and stay-at-home orders. American Thanksgiving is a major holiday not limited to any religion. We asked 404 American adults how they spent Thanksgiving Day and to report on their experiences of that day. Predictors of wellbeing that we drew from self-determination theory were satisfaction of the fundamental needs for social connection (relatedness), for doing what one really wants (autonomy), and feeling effective (competence). The predictors of wellbeing that we drew from regulatory focus theory were a focus on growth (promotion), and a focus on security (prevention). We found that feeling socially connected and focusing on growth related most strongly to wellbeing. Additionally, participants who saw even one other person face-to-face reported significantly higher relatedness satisfaction, promotion focus, and wellbeing than those who did not. Our research could help construct persuasive messages that encourage nurturing close relationships at major holidays while remaining safe against the virus.

"Vaccine Passports" May Backfire: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study in the UK and Israel on Willingness to Get Vaccinated against COVID-19

Domestic “vaccine passports” are being implemented across the world as a way of increasing vaccinated people’s freedom of movement and to encourage vaccination. However, these vaccine passports may affect people’s vaccination decisions in unintended and undesirable ways. This cross-sectional study investigated whether people’s willingness and motivation to get vaccinated relate to their psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness), and how vaccine passports might affect these needs. Across two countries and 1358 participants, we found that need frustration—particularly autonomy frustration—was associated with lower willingness to get vaccinated and with a shift from self-determined to external motivation. In Israel (a country with vaccine passports), people reported greater autonomy frustration than in the UK (a country without vaccine passports). Our findings suggest that control measures, such as domestic vaccine passports, may have detrimental effects on people’s autonomy, motivation, and willingness to get vaccinated. Policies should strive to achieve a highly vaccinated population by supporting individuals’ autonomous motivation to get vaccinated and using messages of autonomy and relatedness, rather than applying pressure and external controls.

The lonely struggle with autonomy: A case study of first-year university students' experiences during emergency online teaching

This paper explores how first-year students experienced emergency online teaching during COVID-19 and aims at understanding individual experiences related to basic psychological need satisfaction, considering different levels of contextual facilitators for learning activities involving technology in higher education derived from the C-flat model. Employing a case study approach, interviews of 15 chemistry students were qualitatively analyzed. The results show negative effects of lacking internet connectivity and concurrence of learning and home spaces but positive effects of ceased commute between home and campus. Teachers' implementation of digital learning opportunities was perceived as adequate but did not sufficiently address the overwhelming increase in students' autonomy and decrease in social relatedness. Students' self-regulation skills as well as skills to initiate and maintain social contacts for interactive learning activities and for motivational support emerged as crucial aspects. Many students were not able to cope appropriately and students' need satisfaction during emergency online teaching appeared to be related to students' prior need satisfaction resulting in five groups of students, with two being relatively resilient and three being vulnerable to the disruptions of regular onsite teaching. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.

How coaches’ need-supportive and controlling behaviors are related to different (mal)adaptive outcomes in water polo players: a person-centered approach

The relationship between both coaches’ need-supportive and controlling behaviors and different athletes’ motivational outcomes has been previously examined. However, little is known about the coexistence of coaches’ need-supportive and controlling behaviors in the sports context and even less, about what coach’s motivating style configuration may yield the most and the least adaptive pattern of outcomes in relation to athletes’ motivating experiences. Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), this study aimed to identify coach motivating style groups based on athletes’ perceptions of need-supportive and four controlling behaviors (i.e., controlling use of rewards, negative conditional regard, intimidation, and personal control), and to examine their differences in terms of athletes’ motivational outcomes and sport commitment. Using a sample of 658 young water polo players (Mage = 14.76, SD = 1.36), results revealed five distinct coach motivating style groups. A coexistence of need-supportive and controlling use of rewards was identified among athletes in two groups. The “very low support-high control” group yielded the most maladaptive outcomes, while the “high support-low control” group was the most optimal style, even when compared to coaches that combined high need-supportive and controlling practices. This study provides deeper insights on how athletes may perceive simultaneously coach’s need-supportive and controlling behaviors, and how some controlling practices imply a higher motivational cost among athletes.

Conspiracy Theories: A Public Health Concern and How to Address It

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was characterized by a significant increase in the endorsement of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are narratives that can enable and accentuate distrust toward health professionals and authorities. As such, they can lead to violent radicalization and should be considered a public health issue. This perspective article aims to further the understanding of professionals on conspiracy theories via the 3N model of radicalization and self-determination theory. Based on empirical research, theory, and existing interventions, potential initiatives intended to tackle the issue of conspiracy theories during pandemics are also presented.

Quality of the Physical Education Teacher's Instruction in the Perspective of Self-Determination

The teacher’s instructions in physical education class have important implications for the psychological well-being of their students. The aim of this study was to analyze, under the postulates of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a model with the following sequence: the perception of the quality of the instructions (task presentation, amount of corrective feedback, and its legitimate perception) generated by the physical education teacher, the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs and the subjective vitality in young students. The participants were 890 students (462 males and 428 females) of primary level from the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico, between ages 11 and 13 (M = 11.36; SD = 0.49). The structural equation modeling showed positive and significant associations in all model interrelations, that is, task presentation and the amount of corrective feedback (B = 0.88, p < 0.001), and this in turn with legitimate perception (B = 0.81, p < 0.001); the legitimate perception of feedback and the satisfaction of the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (B = 0.63, p < 0.001; B = 0.90, p < 0.001; B = 1.01, p < 0.001, respectively); finally, the satisfaction of the three psychological needs and the subjective vitality (B = 0.12, p < 0.01; B = 0.43, p < 0.001; B = 0.24, p < 0.001, respectively). Therefore, the importance of a quality task presentation, as well as providing corrective feedback based on support for autonomy, is evident, so that students perceive it legitimately and thus facilitate the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs and in consequence, indicators of psychological well-being such as subjective vitality.

The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Need Frustration at Work Scale: A Validation Study

The aim of the present study was to adapt and validate the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale within self-determination theory (SDT) within the work domain. Confirmatory factor analyses of three Norwegian samples and one English sample as well as multi-group analyses to examine measurement invariance were performed. The results showed that the adapted work-related scale with its six-factor structure fitted the data well in all four samples, and partial measurement invariance was obtained across samples and languages. Furthermore, internal consistencies for the subscales were acceptable and the subscales predicted work-related correlates as expected, demonstrating the criterion validity of the scale. The current study contributes to a unifying measurement for future research on one of the central underpinnings of SDT within the work domain.

Cultural Identity Conflict and Psychological Well-Being in Bicultural Young Adults: Do Self-Concept Clarity and Self-Esteem Matter?

ABSTRACT

The present study examined the relationship between cultural identity conflict and psychological well-being, as well as the role of self-concept clarity and self-esteem in mediating this linkage. Elevated cultural identity conflict was hypothesized to be associated with lower psychological well-being via both (lower) self-concept clarity and (lower) self-esteem, with self-concept clarity preceding self-esteem. In a cross-sectional design, 473 bicultural young adults (age range, 18-35) completed an online questionnaire assessing cultural identity conflict, self-concept clarity, self-esteem, emotional distress, psychopathological symptoms, and satisfaction with life. Correlation analyses revealed that elevated cultural identity conflict was positively associated with emotional distress and psychopathological symptoms, and negatively associated with satisfaction with life. Mediation analyses indicated that these associations were mediated by lower self-concept clarity and lower self-esteem. The results support the importance of interventions that foster the development of skills in bicultural young adults to obtain more self-concept clarity and promote self-esteem and psychological well-being.

In selecting measures for a comprehensive assessment of well-being, it is essential to include indicators of psychological need satisfaction

Human well-being is an important goal in both policy contexts and in health care, while also predicting various health-related outcomes. However, the proliferation of conceptions of well-being has become a major obstacle for the progress of a comparable and cumulative science of well-being, leading to a need to reach consensus on the key dimensions and indicators to be measured as part of human well-being. While attempts at consensus have been made, we see that the currently suggested dimensions need to be complemented by the inclusion of indicators for basic psychological needs, as need satisfaction is a crucial dimension of human wellness, flourishing, and more eudaimonic conceptions of well-being. In particular, we argue that the inclusion of the three psychological needs as proposed by Self-Determination Theory - autonomy, competence, and relatedness - would provide a parsimonious set of indicators of key elements of experienced well-being deeply rooted in human nature, and thus measuring them alongside other dimensions would offer a broader view of psychological wellness in policy and health care contexts.

Self-Determination Theory to observe healthcare professionals' counselling in chronic care encounters: Development of the COUNSEL-CCE tool

OBJECTIVE

To develop and psychometrically evaluate an observation tool to rate healthcare professionals' engagement in need-supportive and need-thwarting counselling in chronic care encounters.

METHODS

The observation tool was developed through three stages (January 2018 - June 2019). First, a set of items was developed according to essential components of need-supportive and need-thwarting counselling as identified in Self-Determination Theory. Second, content validation by five experts. Third, ecological validation using video-recorded real-life consultations. For the psychometric evaluation (June - October 2019), the tool was used by three observers to code 55 units of real-life encounters.

RESULTS

The Coding and Observing Need-Supportive Counselling in Chronic Care Encounters (COUNSEL-CCE) consists of 44 items clustered into nine theoretically underpinned behavioural approaches. Psychometric testing indicated acceptable to good consistency in scoring between observers and strong consistency within observers.

CONCLUSION

The COUNSEL-CCE captures person-oriented alongside process-oriented aspects during chronic care encounters. A person-oriented approach expresses counselling that is responsive to individual preferences and needs, whereas a process-oriented approach indicates the necessity to support competency building within patients, and is more instrumental of nature.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

COUNSEL-CCE is a valuable observation tool to assess (graduate) healthcare professionals' counselling style and address if, and how, counselling evolves as a result of professional training.

Factor structure and measurement invariance of the Basic Psychological Needs Scale in three South African samples: A bifactor exploratory structural equation modelling approach

The Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS) is still being used but validation studies that applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the scale has inadequate psychometric properties. CFA is based upon restrictive statistical assumptions that may result in biased parameter estimates. There are statistical developments that overcome these limitations. This study explored the factorial validity of the scale in three South African student samples who completed the English (n = 326), Afrikaans (n = 478), or Setswana (n = 260) version of the BPNS. CFA, bifactor CFA, exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) and bifactor ESEM were applied to the data. The three-factor bifactor ESEM model yielded the best fit, but model fit was inadequate for the English and Setswana versions, and almost adequate for the Afrikaans version. After removal of problematic items based on substantive reasons, high modification indices, and high expected parameter change values, reduced bifactor ESEM models displayed adequate fit. The general factor showed sufficient reliability scores for all language versions. Subscales exhibited insufficient reliability scores, except for the Competence and Relatedness subscales of the BPNS-Afrikaans. A reduced three-factor bifactor ESEM model was partially metric invariant for the English and Afrikaans groups. The BPNS-Afrikaans showed potential for use, but alternative measures of basic psychological needs should be considered for the English and Setswana groups in the current context. The cross-cultural application of basic psychological needs in a South African context is questioned. An emic approach to exploring and conceptualising basic psychological needs in African contexts is recommended.

The Basic Psychological Needs in the Classroom Scale (BPN-CS)

Recent experimental and theoretical studies have shown that the assessment of students’ satisfaction of their basic psychological needs (BPN) can be a powerful resource to identify different areas to improve their well-being, engagement, or learning achievement in school contexts. However, currently, the number of validated tools to assess the satisfaction of the BPN is very low, hindering informed decision-making strategies at the educational level. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Basic Psychological Needs in the Classroom Scale (BPN-CS) instrument, adapting existing instruments and putting the new tool to the test. The BPN-CS was developed to measure the level of satisfaction of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and novelty in the classroom. We tested the scale on a representative sample of 1344 Spanish elementary school students from 8 to 13 years old. A series of analyses were run in order to test the internal consistency of the main factors as well as to prove the convergent and divergent validity of the instrument. In summary, the BPN-CS is presented as a reliable and valid self-report instrument to measure basic psychological needs in a classroom context with elementary school pupils in the Spanish context.

Trust Profiles: Associations With Psychological Need Satisfaction, Work Engagement, and Intention to Leave

The study aimed to identify trust profiles in the work domain and to study how these patterns related to psychological need satisfaction, work engagement, and intentions to leave. A cross-sectional survey with a convenience sample (N = 298) was used. The Behavioral Trust Inventory, the Work-related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale, the Work Engagement Scale, and the Turnover Intention Scale were administered. The results showed four trust profiles: skeptic, reliance-based, moderately cautious, and optimistic trustors represented participants' responses on behavioral trust. Skeptic and optimistic trustors (who represented about 50% of the sample) differed primarily regarding their reliance and disclosure intensity. The other two trust profiles (representing the other 50% of the sample) reflected higher reliance and lower disclosure or lower reliance and higher disclosure. Psychological need satisfaction (comprised of autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction) and work engagement were the strongest and intentions to leave the weakest for optimistic trustors (compared to skeptic trustors).

Did You Enjoy It? The Role of Intensity-Trait Preference/Tolerance in Basic Psychological Needs and Exercise Enjoyment

Promoting exercise regimens that aim at enhancing the quality of individuals’ subjective exercise experience can be challenging. Given the recent theoretical contributions regarding the possible interaction of exercise intensity-traits and several motivational variables, as well as their potential value for exercise adherence, the objective of this study was to examine the mediation role of basic psychological needs in the relationship between preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity and enjoyment. This cross-sectional study comprised a total of 160 exercisers (Mage = 34.12, SD = 9.23, 73 males) enrolled in several health clubs. All analyses were performed using SPSS v. 23.0/PROCESS v. 3.4. The results indicate that intensity-traits presented positive associations with enjoyment, and negative associations with all of needs frustration variables. A mediation role of needs frustration emerged in the intensity-traits and enjoyment associations that was analyzed according to relatable theoretical considerations.

Basic Psychological Need Profiles and Correlates in Physical Activity Participation: A Person-Centered Approach

Guided by Basic Psychological Need Theory, we investigated the combined associations between need satisfaction and need frustration (i.e., need profiles) and their relations with theoretically relevant correlates including mindfulness, physical literacy, physical activity enjoyment, and physical activity. The participants were Singapore-based school students (N = 844, M age = 12.45, SDage = 1.99, boys = 53.1%) who completed a cross-sectional survey. The results of the latent profile analysis identified four distinct need profiles: profile 1-average satisfaction and frustration (n = 364, 44.1%); profile 2-low satisfaction (n = 251, 29.7%), above average frustration; profile 3-very high satisfaction, very low frustration (n = 144, 17.1%); and profile 4-high satisfaction, very high frustration (n = 85, 10.1%). Among these, profile 3 was the most adaptive one; it had the highest levels of mindfulness, physical literacy, physical activity enjoyment, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Experiences of need satisfaction countered the negative effects of need frustration on these correlates. These findings enhance our understanding of students' psychological need experiences and highlight the need for investigating the combined associations between need satisfaction and need frustration.

From the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction to Intrinsic Motivation: Mediating Effect of Academic Integration

The studies show a positive and direct relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation of the students. However, there is a lack of studies that analyze the psychological processes that affect these relationships. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of academic integration on the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation of Chilean university students. The participants were a total of 580 students from a university in northern Chile, 359 women and 221 men. The mediation analysis was performed by structural equations modeling, using the maximum likelihood method and the bootstrapping procedure with 10,000 iterations. The results indicated that academic integration partially mediated the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation of the students. Therefore, the basic psychological needs satisfaction had an indirect effect on the intrinsic motivation of the students through academic integration. It is concluded that the academic integration constitutes a psychological process that promotes the development of intrinsic motivation for learning. The practical implications are discussed along with the limitations of the study and recommendations for future research.

The Differential Effects of Social Media on Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation Among the Younger and Older Adult Population in Hong Kong During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Population-Based Cross-sectional Survey Study

BACKGROUND

Social media has become a ubiquitous part of daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic isolation. However, the role of social media use in depression and suicidal ideation of the general public remains unclear. Related empirical studies were limited and reported inconsistent findings. Little is known about the potential underlying mechanisms that may illustrate the relationship between social media use and depression and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

This study tested the mediation effects of social loneliness and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on the relationship between social media use and depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, as well as the moderation effect of age on the mediation models.

METHODS

We administered a population-based random telephone survey in May and June 2020, when infection control measures were being vigorously implemented in Hong Kong. A total of 1070 adults (658 social media users and 412 nonusers) completed the survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and multigroup SEM were conducted to test the mediation and moderation effects.

RESULTS

The weighted prevalence of probable depression was 11.6%; 1.6% had suicidal ideation in the past 2 weeks. Both moderated mediation models of depressive symptoms (χ²₆₂=335.3; P<.05; comparative fit index [CFI]=0.94; nonnormed fit index [NNFI]=0.92; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=0.06) and suicidal ideation (χ²₃₄=50.8; P<.05; CFI=0.99; NNFI=0.99; RMSEA=0.02) showed acceptable model fit. There was a significantly negative direct effect of social media use on depressive symptoms among older people (β=-.07; P=.04) but not among younger people (β=.04; P=.55). The indirect effect via PTSD symptoms was significantly positive among both younger people (β=.09; P=.02) and older people (β=.10; P=.01). The indirect effect via social loneliness was significant among older people (β=-.01; P=.04) but not among younger people (β=.01; P=.31). The direct effect of social media use on suicidal ideation was not statistically significant in either age group (P>.05). The indirect effects via PTSD symptoms were statistically significant among younger people (β=.02; P=.04) and older people (β=.03; P=.01). Social loneliness was not a significant mediator between social media use and suicidal ideation among either age group (P>.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Social media may be a "double-edged sword" for psychosocial well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its roles vary across age groups. The mediators identified in this study can be addressed by psychological interventions to prevent severe mental health problems during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Relationships between social interactions, basic psychological needs, and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

Social lockdowns associated with COVID-19 have led individuals to increasingly rely on video conferencing and other technology-based interactions to fulfil social needs. The extent to which these interactions, as well as traditional face-to-face interactions, satisfied psychological needs and supported wellbeing during different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic is yet to be elucidated. In this study, university students' social interactions (both technology-based and face-to-face), psychological needs, and wellbeing were assessed at six time points across four months of government-enforced restrictions in Australia.

DESIGN

Repeated survey assessment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Basic psychological need satisfaction; general wellbeing.

RESULTS

Results demonstrated that, at the within-subjects level, relatedness satisfaction (feeling understood by, cared for, and connected to others) significantly mediated the relationship between technology-based interaction and wellbeing. Autonomy satisfaction (self-initiation and feeling ownership over decisions and behaviours) mediated the relationship between face-to-face interactions and wellbeing at the within-person level.

CONCLUSION

Discussion is centred on the importance of technology-based interactions for needs satisfaction and wellbeing during periods of social isolation.

Adolescent well-being and learning in times of COVID-19-A multi-country study of basic psychological need satisfaction, learning behavior, and the mediating roles of positive emotion and intrinsic motivation

The sudden switch to distance education to contain the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered adolescents' lives around the globe. The present research aims to identify psychological characteristics that relate to adolescents' well-being in terms of positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and key characteristics of their learning behavior in a situation of unplanned, involuntary distance education. Following Self-Determination Theory, experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness were assumed to relate to active learning behavior (i.e., engagement and persistence), and negatively relate to passive learning behavior (i.e., procrastination), mediated via positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation. Data were collected via online questionnaires in altogether eight countries from Europe, Asia, and North America (N = 25,305) and comparable results across countries were expected. Experienced competence was consistently found to relate to positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and, in turn, active learning behavior in terms of engagement and persistence. The study results further highlight the role of perceived relatedness for positive emotion. The high proportions of explained variance speak in favor of taking these central results into account when designing distance education in times of COVID-19.

How Can Students Feel More Vital Amidst Severe Restrictions? Psychological Needs Satisfaction, Motivational Regulation and Vitality of Students during the Coronavirus Pandemic Restrictions

During the pandemic restrictions imposed in spring 2020, many aspects of students' living and learning environments changed drastically. From the perspective of Self-Determination Theory, changes in social context interact with the satisfaction or frustration of basic psychological needs and, as a result, with study-related motivational regulation and vitality. In this study, we investigate the relationships between the contextual factors of online-based distance learning, basic psychological needs, forms of motivational regulation and subjective vitality in a sample of N = 1849 university students across eight universities in Austria and Germany. Based on structural equational modelling, the results stress the relevance of satisfaction with technological resources in regard to higher levels of satisfaction in all three basic psychological needs, while perceived overload is linked to lower levels of needs satisfaction and increased basic psychological needs frustration. Further, the estimated workload difference before and during the pandemic is not related to the motivational outcomes of the model. All relationships have been tested for mediation effects between basic psychological needs and the different forms of motivational regulation on subjective vitality: for the need for relatedness, no mediation is found, while the effect of the need for autonomy is fully mediated by autonomous regulation styles. The need for competence was associated with several mediating interactions with regulation styles. The results offer insight into students' perceptions of their study-related experiences during the pandemic and can help to develop effective methods in online-based and blended learning settings in the future.

Individualism, Competitiveness, and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Pre-adolescents: Does the Teacher's Controlling Style Matter?

The traditional teaching style in which the teacher is in control and there is a submissive attitude in students is predominant in Mexico. The development of identity in preadolescence is subjected to social groups, which could develop interpersonal difficulties through the controlling teaching style. Although the fear of negative evaluation in students and competitive sport has been studied in education, relatively little research has been done in the area of physical education in relation to the controlling style. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation and predictive relationship between controlling teaching and the fear of negative evaluation mediated by the frustration of the basic psychological needs (BPN), controlled motivation, and individualism/competitiveness through the theoretical framework of self-determination theory. Participants were 1132 students in the fifth and sixth grades in public elementary schools in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, with ages between 10 and 13 (M = 10.51 years; SD = 0.66 years). Results indicate the perceived controlling teaching style positively predicted the fear of negative evaluation in students of this study through BPN frustration, that is positively related to low-quality motivation, which is related to a higher level of individualism/competitiveness. This, in turn, is proven to be a predictor of the fear of negative evaluation. The results also discuss the promotion of the autonomy support style, avoiding the controlling teaching style, for the minimization of negative results related to the perception of fear and the development of student well-being both within and beyond the school context.

Do Psychological Needs Play a Role in Times of Uncertainty? Associations with Well-Being During the COVID-19 Crisis

Across the world, measures were taken to contain the spreading of the COVID-19 virus. Many of these measures caused a sudden rupture in people's daily routines, thereby eliciting considerable uncertainty and potentially also hampering the satisfaction of individuals' psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Drawing upon Maslow's Hierarchical Need Theory and Self-Determination Theory, this study examined the unique role of felt insecurity and the psychological needs, as well as their dynamic interplay, in the prediction of mental health. A large and heterogeneous sample of adults (N = 5118; Mage = 43.45 years) was collected during the first ten days of the lockdown period in Flanders, Belgium. A subsample (N = 835, Mage = 41.39) participated during a second wave one week later. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that felt insecurity, need satisfaction and need frustration all independently predicted various positive (life satisfaction, sleep quality) and negative indicators depressive symptoms, anxiety) of mental health, with little systematic evidence for interactions between the predictors. The pattern of findings obtained concurrently largely held in the longitudinal analyses. Finally, results showed that associations between felt insecurity and lower concurrent and prospective mental health were partially mediated by need satisfaction and frustration, with especially psychological need frustration predicting changes in mental health over time. Overall, the findings suggest that satisfaction of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness is not just a 'luxury good'. Satisfaction of these needs is important also in times of insecurity, while need frustration represents a risk factor for maladjustment during such times.

What do females really dream of? An individual-differences perspective on determining how narrative identity affects types of life projects and the ways of telling them

This article presents the findings of a study on life projects (LPs) created by adult females. It aims to show the specifics of future plans and of ideas on aspects of narrative identity in order to extend the existing literature. The study revealed the broad spectrum of LPs, with the most common categories related to study and work, regardless of the narrative identity incorporated into the study. However, separately taken, motives of agency and communion turned out to show some visible differences within the other types of LPs. The adoption of the identity development construct showed the specific meaning that projects had for each subgroup of narrators, who were distinguished based on the identity maturation level. In consequence, it exposed both content and formal aspects of LPs that appeared to differentiate and be characteristic for the next stages of maturity in the surveyed sample.

Reducing Compliance Demands in Government Benefit Programs Improves the Psychological Well-Being of Target Group Members

State actions impact the lives of citizens in general and government benefit recipients in particular. However, little is known about whether experiences of psychological costs among benefit recipients can be relieved by reducing compliance demands in interactions with the state. Across three studies, we provide evidence that reducing demands causes relief. In a survey experiment, we show that psychological costs experienced by Danish unemployment insurance recipients change in response to information about actual reduced compliance demands. In two field studies, we exploit survey data collected around a sudden, exogenous shock (the COVID-19 lockdown of Danish society in March 2020), which led to immediate reductions in compliance demands in Denmark’s active labor market policies. We test whether two groups of benefit recipients experienced reduced psychological costs in response to these sudden reductions in compliance demands imposed by the state. Across all studies, we find that the reduction of compliance demands is associated with an increased sense of autonomy, and in two of the three studies it is associated with reduced stress. Overall, our findings suggest that psychological costs experienced by benefit recipients are indeed affected by state actions in the form of compliance demands.

Educational and Social Exergaming: A Perspective on Physical, Social, and Educational Benefits and Pitfalls of Exergaming at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Afterwards

Physical inactivity and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) signify two pandemics with negative physical, mental, and economic consequences. Younger and older people have not reached the recommended physical activity level for years. Societal restrictions due to COVID-19 additionally reduce opportunities for physical activity, and they increase social isolation. Here, we outline how playing exergames with others (social exergaming) at home could foster physical and mental health and promote communication and discussions on exergaming. Accordingly, we highlight the educational and social benefits of exergaming at home and delineate the concept of Educational and Social Exergaming (EASE). We outline specific benefits and pitfalls of exergaming regarding its physical and nonphysical effects, including educational values of discussing exergaming experiences and related topics. Moreover, we discuss the relevance of practical guidelines for educational and social exergaming at home as well as prospects for future research. Overall, educational and social exergaming could alleviate several detrimental effects of both pandemics on the health and well-being of people of all ages.

Psychometric Properties of the German Short Version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Student Survey

Abstract. Background: Higher education is a challenging context in which students – particularly those endowed with a small array of resources – are susceptible to suffer from burnout. To screen, identify, and support students that are at risk of burnout, psychometrically robust instruments are essential. To this end, we extended the validation of the German short version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Student Survey (MBI-SS-KV) that allows measuring burnout among German-speaking university students. Method: We conducted a longitudinal study and analyzed the factorial validity, reliability, measurement invariance, and convergent as well as discriminant validity of the MBI-SS-KV in a sample of German university students ( N = 1,435). Results: Our results replicated the original three-factor structure of the MBI-SS-KV. Yet, a bi-factor structure of the MBI-SS-KV – composed of a general factor (i.e., student burnout) and three domain-specific factors (i.e., emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy) – revealed a comparable fit and was used for further analyses due to theoretical and methodological advantages. Based on the bi-factor structure of the MBI-SS-KV, nested models with increasing invariance constraints provided support for measurement invariance of this instrument across female and male university students and across time. Besides, the average variance extracted estimates and the comparisons of these estimates with shared variances demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity of the factors emotional exhaustion and cynicism, but not for the factor reduced professional efficacy. Conclusion: To sum up, we found that the MBI-SS-KV is a reliable and for the most part valid instrument for the assessment of student burnout in German higher education.

Need-Supportive and Need-Thwarting Teacher Behavior: Their Importance to Boys' and Girls' Academic Engagement and Procrastination Behavior

Motivation plays an important role in students’ school behavior, and research has established that students’ learning environment experiences such as teachers’ behavior toward them contribute to their motivation and behavior at school. Self-determination theory (SDT) offers an interesting frame of reference in the study of the relationship between students’ learning experiences at school and their school behavior. Considering three basic psychological needs (the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness), the SDT points to the importance of nutriments and support in the social environment in order to allow growth in motivation, engagement, and (psychological) well-functioning. In addition, thwarting these needs is supposed to contribute to maladaptive functioning. Teachers can play an important role in the fulfillment of students’ basic psychological needs by delivering support (autonomy support, structure, and involvement); however, controlling instructional behavior, chaos in the classroom, and teacher rejection and neglect are supposed to be a treat to the fulfillment of students’ basic psychological needs. In the current innovative longitudinal study, teachers’ need-supportive behavior as well as teachers’ thwarting of these needs are considered and their relationship with students’ academic engagement (adaptive functioning) and procrastination behavior (maladaptive functioning) is studied. In addition, attention is paid to differential effects of teachers’ behavior with regard to boys and girls. Participants were 566 students belonging to 20 mathematics/English grade 1 secondary education classes in the Netherlands. Multilevel analyses revealed evidence for the importance of both teachers’ need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors in relation to students’ academic engagement and procrastination behavior. In addition, the findings revealed that teachers’ need-supportive behavior is more important for students’ academic engagement (adaptive functioning), while teachers’ need-thwarting behavior has larger effects on students’ procrastination behavior (maladaptive functioning). Furthermore, evidence was found that boys often seemed to be more sensitive to their teachers’ behavior than girls. The findings highlight the importance of both teachers’ need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors in daily classrooms and contribute to deepen our insight into and understanding of factors leading to adaptive and maladaptive functioning of boys and girls in relation to learning tasks at school.

How to bring residents' psychosocial well-being to the heart of the fight against Covid-19 in Belgian nursing homes-A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Nursing homes (NH) for the elderly have been particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic mainly due to their hosted vulnerable populations and poor outbreak preparedness. In Belgium, the medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) implemented a support project for NH including training on infection prevention and control (IPC), (re)-organization of care, and psychosocial support for NH staff. As psychosocial and mental health needs of NH residents in times of Covid-19 are poorly understood and addressed, this study aimed to better understand these needs and how staff could respond accordingly.

METHODS

A qualitative study adopting thematic content analysis. Eight focus group discussions with direct caring staff and 56 in-depth interviews with residents were conducted in eight purposively and conveniently selected NHs in Brussels, Belgium, June 2020.

RESULTS

NH residents experienced losses of freedom, social life, autonomy, and recreational activities that deprived them of their basic psychological needs. This had a massive impact on their mental well-being expressed in feeling depressed, anxious, and frustrated as well as decreased meaning and quality of life. Staff felt unprepared for the challenges posed by the pandemic; lacking guidelines, personal protective equipment and clarity around organization of care. They were confronted with professional and ethical dilemmas, feeling 'trapped' between IPC and the residents' wellbeing. They witnessed the detrimental effects of the measures imposed on their residents.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed the insights of residents' and NH staff at the height of the early Covid-19 pandemic. Clearer outbreak plans, including psychosocial support, could have prevented the aggravated mental health conditions of both residents and staff. A holistic approach is needed in NHs in which tailor-made essential restrictive IPC measures are combined with psychosocial support measures to reduce the impact on residents' mental health impact and to enhance their quality of life.

Suppression of Psychological Needs Among Beginning Teachers: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on the Induction Process in Bedouin Schools

The study focuses on the emotional-motivational experiences of Bedouin-Arab beginning teachers during the induction period, from the perspective of Self-Determination Theory. A phenomenological study was employed. Seventy-four teachers participated, 62 of whom completed open questionnaires, while semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 other participants. The findings indicate that the beginning teachers reported experiences of coercion, exploitation, and gender-based discrimination (autonomy suppression). They also experienced a judgmental attitude, lack of assistance, and difficulties with students (competence suppression), and their sense of relatedness to the school is impaired due to cultural factors (relatedness suppression). As a result, they expressed controlled motivation, a sense of burnout, stress, impaired well-being and disengagement in school. They also suppressed their students' autonomy. At the same time, the findings also show that when the teachers experience a sense of need satisfaction, they integrate well into the school. These findings indicate the necessity for establishing a need-supportive school environment for beginning teachers during their induction period.

The role of ego integrity and despair in older adults' well-being during the COVID-19 crisis: the mediating role of need-based experiences

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people across the world, with important heterogeneity among older adults in how they respond to the challenges associated with this crisis. Relying on a cross-fertilization between Erikson's personality theory and self-determination theory, this study aimed to examine possible sources of resilience (i.e., ego integrity and need satisfaction) and vulnerability (i.e., despair) in older adults' (mal) adjustment, thereby additionally considering the role of multiple risk and protective factors (e.g., gender and marital status). During the second month of the lockdown period in Belgium, 693 older adults (M _age = 70.06, SD = 4.48, range: 65-89 years, 62.1% female) filled out online questionnaires concerning the study variables, while also completing assessments of several important sociodemographic factors. Structural equation modeling suggested that both ego integrity and despair related to indicators of well-being and psychological distress through experienced need satisfaction. Additionally, we found several factors to protect (e.g., higher perceived income) or diminish (e.g., being widowed) older adults' well-being during these challenging times, with little evidence for a moderating role of these factors in associations between the psychological variables. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Boxing with Parkinson's Disease: findings from a qualitative study using self-determination theory

PURPOSE

Adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience debilitating symptoms that may be mitigated by boxing. Yet, attrition from boxing programs is problematic. Understanding whether PD-specific boxing programs can enhance motivation to remain physically active is important. This study investigated adults' experiences within a PD-specific boxing program and explored their perspectives on how the program has influenced physical activity motivational processes using a self-determination theory (SDT) lens. Methods: Nine adults with PD who took part in the Boxing 4 Health PD-specific boxing program completed face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Results: The analysis yielded five themes: (1) I made an informed decision to participate and it feels good, (2) Boxing helps me stay active and keep moving, (3) To keep me going, the boxing program needs to have variety and allow for input, (4) A program that can be adapted to me is important, and (5) The instructor and the group facilitate my continued participation in the program. Conclusion: Providing participants with adapted exercises, varied sessions, and opportunities to provide input in a group-based PD-specific boxing program may be conducive to enhancing motivation for physical activity. Further, SDT may be a useful theoretical framework for developing and evaluating PD-specific programs.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAdults with Parkinson's disease (PD) have many reasons for not engaging in physical activity, including a lack of motivation.A group-based PD-specific boxing program may be conducive to increasing motivation for physical activity.Professionals should consider: (1) educating adults with PD on the benefits of boxing, (2) offering group-based PD-specific boxing programs that are adaptable, varied, and open to input, and (3) fostering social support and networking opportunities within such programs.

Can Students' Computer Programming Learning Motivation and Effectiveness Be Enhanced by Learning Python Language? A Multi-Group Analysis

Python language has become the most popular computer language. Python is widely adopted in computer courses. However, Python language’s effects on the college and university students’ learning performance, motivations, computer programming self-efficacy, and maladaptive cognition have still not been widely examined. The main objective of this study is to explore the effects of learning Python on students’ programming learning. The junior students of two classes in a college are the research participants. One class was taught Java language and the other class was taught Python language. The learning performance, motivations, and maladaptive cognition in the two classes were compared to evaluate the differences. The results showed that the motivations, computer programming self-efficacy, and maladaptive cognition on the learning performance were significant in the Python class. The results and findings of this study can be used in Python course arrangement and development.

The Co-Occurrence of Satisfaction and Frustration of Basic Psychological Needs and Its Relationship with Exercisers' Motivation

Although the relationship between both need frustration and, particularly, need satisfaction and different motivational regulations for exercise has been widely examined in the literature, little is known about the co-occurrence of both need satisfaction and need frustration in the exercise context. Grounded in self-determination theory, the present study aimed to examine the effects of both need satisfaction and frustration on motivational regulations for exercise, by applying a response surface analysis approach. In total, 477 regular exercisers aged 18-54 years participated in this study. The interaction between needs (high on both need satisfaction and frustration) displayed a positive and significant association with amotivation, integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation. Considering the direction of the discrepancy (high vs. low levels of need satisfaction and frustration) related to the behavioral regulations, results showed that higher need satisfaction relative to need frustration was associated with more self-determined regulations of motivation. Contrarily, higher need satisfaction relative to need frustration was associated with lower scores on amotivation, external, introjected, and identified regulation. Overall, these findings extend previous literature, suggesting that need satisfaction and frustration are distinct factors that can be experienced simultaneously in individuals during exercise and that different degrees of both needs have different associations with behavioral regulations.

Active commuting to school among 36,781 Spanish children and adolescents: A temporal trend study

This study examines trends in the rates of active commuting to school (ACS) in Spanish children (n = 18 343; 8.93 ± 1.68) and adolescents (n = 18 438; 14.11 ± 1.58) aged 6-18 years from 2010 to 2017. Given the study period included the economic crisis in Spain (2008-2013), the second aim of this study was to compare ACS rates during and after the economic crisis. Data were obtained from 28 studies conducted across Spain. The overall trends in ACS were evaluated using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Among Spanish children and adolescents, the rates of ACS to school ranged around 60% between 2010 and 2017. The rates of ACS in Spanish youth did not change significantly during the 2010-2017 period, except a sporadic increase in the rate of ACS in adolescents in 2012-2013. No significant association between the ACS and the economic crisis time period in youth was found. As conclusion, the ACS remains stable in Spain during the last decade, which is a promising result regarding the evidenced decreasing trend in many countries. Further educational and policy strategies are important to continue promoting this behavior in children and adolescents in the long term.

Satisfied or Frustrated? A Qualitative Analysis of Need Satisfying and Need Frustrating Experiences of Engaging With Digital Health Technology in Chronic Care

Introduction: Digital health technologies such as self-monitoring devices and apps are becoming increasingly important as tools to promote healthy habits and support individuals in their self-care. There is still a scarcity of research that builds on motivational theory to better understand the functioning of digital health technologies. The self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of motivation that delineates three basic psychological needs that are linked to different types of motivation and lead to well-being when satisfied and illbeing when frustrated.

Objective: To explore how the use of a digital tool for self-monitoring and communication with healthcare satisfies or frustrates basic psychological needs across four spheres of user experience: interface, task, behavior, and life.

Methods: The study was conducted in a Swedish primary care setting with individuals who participated in a pilot study of a digital health intervention for self-monitoring in chronic care management. Data from a follow-up survey with participants 7 months after recruitment were analyzed using a thematic approach mixing inductive and deductive analysis. The unit of analysis is based on a total of 642 individual answers to seven open-ended questions, from 121 respondents.

Results: The analysis identified positive and negative influences of self-monitoring and digital communication with healthcare on all three psychological needs. Three main findings are that: (1) data covered all four spheres of user experiences, but most user experiences concerned the behavior and task spheres; (2) satisfaction and frustration of competence needs was more prominent than influences on other needs; (3) the same experience may be perceived as both need frustrating and need satisfying, which suggests a tension that reflects individual differences.

Conclusion: Designers of digital health technologies need to take into account basic psychological needs within all spheres of user experience, from interface to life in general. Because some features may be simultaneously experienced as satisfying and frustrating by different users, these types of tools need to be flexible to accommodate for variation of user experiences. Careful design considerations that take motivational theory into account would contribute to the transformation of care for individuals with chronic conditions.

Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of a Scale to Measure Perceived External and Internal Faces of Controlling Teaching among Students in Physical Education

There are no validated instruments to date that have examined the students’ perceptions of externally and internally controlling teaching practices in physical education (PE). Grounded in self-determination theory, the objective of this research was to provide validity and reliability evidence of the Controlling Teaching Scale for Physical Education (CTS-PE) to assess the external and internal faces of controlling teaching in PE through two sequential studies. In Study 1 (n = 241 students), an exploratory factor analysis revealed an eight-item two-factor solution (four items per factor). In Study 2 (n = 968 students), a confirmatory factor analysis supported the eight-item two-factor correlated model (i.e., externally and internally controlling teaching) that was invariant across gender. Reliability coefficients indicated an acceptable level of reliability for the two factors of the CTS-PE. A structural equation modelling showed that externally and internally controlling teaching behaviours positively predicted need frustration, and negatively need satisfaction. The current study gathered evidence to consider the CTS-PE as a valid and reliable instrument to assess students’ perceptions of PE teachers’ externally and internally controlling teaching behaviours. The CTS-PE provides PE teachers with deeper insights into the negative psychological experiences associated with externally and internally controlling teaching behaviours in PE.

A Hybrid TGfU/SE Volleyball Teaching Unit for Enhancing Motivation in Physical Education: A Mixed-Method Approach

Grounded in self-determination theory, this pre-experimental study analyzed the effects of a hybrid teaching games for understanding/sport education (TGfU/SE) volleyball teaching unit on students’ motivational outcomes, using a mixed-method approach. It also examined whether the intervention was equally effective for boys and girls. Participants were 53 secondary school students (M_age = 15.50, SD_age = 0.57) who were taught through a hybrid TGfU/SE unit. The structure of this unit was designed according to the characteristics of SE model, while learning tasks were designed by using the pedagogical principles of TGfU model. Both self-reported validated questionnaires and focus groups were used before and after intervention to assess students’ motivational responses. After the hybrid TGfU/SE unit, both quantitative and qualitative findings showed improvements in students’ perceptions of need-support from the physical education (PE) teacher, basic psychological needs satisfaction, novelty, and variety satisfaction, as well as intrinsic motivation compared to baseline values. Although the hybrid TGfU/SE unit was effective in both genders, a large effect size was found for girls. Despite the existence of social and cultural stereotypes in team sports such as volleyball in favor of boys, results highlight the importance of developing hybrid TGfU/SE units to improve students’ motivational outcomes, especially in girls.