Prosocial Behavior and Well-Being: An Empirical Review of the Role of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction.

Although prosocial behavior is positively associated with one's well-being, researchers have yet to reach a consensus on the role played by basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) in this association. A systematic review of the existing empirical literature is conducted in this article to summarize and synthesize the relationship between prosocial behavior and well-being, with a special emphasis on the multifaceted role of BPNS (i.e. mediation, moderation, and concurrent mediation and moderation). Nineteen articles have been identified that meet the criteria of the research focus, being empirical and peer-reviewed. Results suggest that BPNS can act as a mediator, moderator, and differing mediation and moderation roles. Prosocial behavior can both individually and jointly satisfy the three needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, thus enhancing well-being. Moreover, the positive correlation between prosocial behavior and well-being can be augmented by a high level of satisfaction of one or multiple needs. Furthermore, those who have higher satisfaction of autonomy, competence, or relatedness display a greater increase in well-being after engaging in prosocial behavior, which can be mediated by BPNS. Drawing on these findings, the current body of work is evaluated in terms of its strengths and weaknesses, and potential future directions are explored.

Time perspectives and procrastination in university students: exploring the moderating role of basic psychological need satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Research on procrastination, regarding time perspective factors and basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) has placed this problem at the meeting point of individual and contextual variables. The present study focused both on the individual, given that time perspectives can be defined as a person's attitude to an object (time) at three moments (present, past, future); and on contextual aspects, because the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy, relatedness) is facilitated or made difficult by social contexts. Based on this, the aim of this study was to analyse the relationships between time perspectives and inter-subject procrastination variations, testing the moderating role of BPNS in this relationship. METHOD: A total of 1,188 undergraduate students, aged 17-50 years (M = 20.02, SD = 2.63), completed three questionnaires containing the variables of interest. RESULTS: Regression analyses showed significant negative (thus, potentially protective) association of future time perspective with all three procrastination dimensions (decisional procrastination, implemental delay, and lateness). Conversely, past-negative time perspective showed a positive (thus, potentially adverse) association with procrastination. Satisfaction of the need for competence also showed a negative (thus, potentially protective) association with all procrastination dimensions. On eight occasions, the relationships between time perspectives and procrastination dimensions were moderated by psychological need satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that BPNS may play relevant roles in the negative (favourable) relationships between procrastination dimensions and positive time perspectives, as well as in the positive (adverse) associations between negative time perspectives and procrastination dimensions. Contextual interventions fostering enhanced levels of perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as well as future time perspective, are thus strong candidates to consider for use and evaluation by policy makers, pedagogues, teachers, coaches and other professionals interested in counteracting procrastination tendencies.

Bidirectional Longitudinal Associations between Parental Psychological Control and Peer Victimization among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction.

Despite evidence indicating a connection between inappropriate parenting styles and peer victimization, the dynamic processes and mechanisms underlying this link and whether it is consistent across genders and different developmental stages have yet to be explored. To address these gaps, the current 2-year longitudinal study explored the potential bidirectional associations between parental psychological control and peer victimization, as well as the mediating role of adolescent basic psychological need satisfaction. A total of 4,990 adolescents (49.4% boys, Mage T1 = 12.21 years, SDage T1 = 2.60) across different developmental stages (early adolescents, N = 1,819, 49.2% boys, Mage T1 = 9.34 years, SDage T1 = 0.62; middle adolescents, N = 1,525, 50.75% boys, Mage T1 = 12.47 years, SDage T1 = 0.69; late adolescents, N = 1,646, 46.5% boys, Mage T1 = 15.26 years, SDage T1 = 0.50) participated in this three-wave longitudinal survey. The results revealed that parental psychological control was bidirectionally associated with peer victimization. Additionally, basic psychological need satisfaction played the meditating role in this vicious cycle. Further analysis demonstrated interesting developmental differences. Parental psychological control was directly associated with subsequent peer victimization at all three developmental stages, and peer victimization was only directly associated with subsequent parental psychological control in the next year among early adolescents and middle adolescents. The mutual mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction between parental psychological control and peer victimization was observed exclusively in early adolescents. Both male and female adolescents could be equally affected by these dynamics. This research underscores the reciprocal dynamics inherent in parent-child interactions, intervening in either of these processes (i.e., family, peers, and adolescent basic psychological need satisfaction) may break this destructive cycle.

Belief in a just world and meaning in life among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction.

Previous literature has shown that adults with higher belief in a just world (BJW) experience greater meaning in life than those with less pronounced BJW. However, the role of BJW in adolescent meaning in life and the associated psychological mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, two studies were conducted to explore the roles of personal belief in a just world (PBJW) and general belief in a just world (GBJW) in meaning in life as well as the explanatory role of basic psychological need satisfaction among Chinese adolescents. Study 1 offered cross-sectional evidence that individuals higher in PBJW and GBJW displayed greater meaning in life, and basic psychological need satisfaction accounted for these associations. Study 2 provided longitudinal evidence that individuals higher in PBJW and GBJW at Time 1 exhibited greater meaning in life six months later (Time 2), wherein basic psychological need satisfaction at Time 1 served as a mediator. These findings contribute to understanding the adaptive benefits of PBJW and GBJW in meaning in life during adolescence and point to a crucial channel connecting BJW and meaning in life.

Switching off automatic pilot to promote wellbeing and performance in the workplace: the role of mindfulness and basic psychological needs satisfaction.

Introduction and method: Building on self-determination theory, this study aims to advance the happy-productive worker thesis by examining a sequential mediation linking trait mindfulness to task performance through basic psychological need satisfaction and psychological wellbeing at work. Whereas most of the papers published on the topic stem from USA and Europe, we tested our model in a Canadian sample of 283 French-speaking workers. Results: Based on structural equation modeling, results show that the three need satisfactions at work mediate the relationship between trait mindfulness and psychological wellbeing at work. Rather than observing a sequential mediation, we find an indirect effect of trait mindfulness on task performance through the satisfaction for one of the basic psychological need (i.e., competence). Discussion: The present research goes beyond previous studies by exploring a new pair of happy construct-productive criteria alongside an emergent intrapersonal factor contributing to this relationship.

Basic psychological need satisfaction and aggressive behavior: the role of negative affect and its gender difference.

Background: Basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) is a significant factor in a person's development, especially for adolescents, and the failure to satisfy these basic needs may contribute to individuals' aggressive behavior. However, it is still unclear about the underlying mechanism by which BPNS is negatively associated with aggressive behavior. This study aimed to explore the relationship between BPNS and aggressive behavior in Chinese adolescents, with a focus on the mediating role of negative affect and its gender differences. Method: A sample of 1,064 junior high school students from three schools in China were selected randomly for the cross-sectional survey. The revised Need Satisfaction Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Youth's Self-Report were used to measure BPNS, affect, and aggressive behavior. The proposed model was examined by the structural equation modeling test and multi-group comparison analysis. Results: The results showed that BPNS was negatively linked with adolescents' aggressive behavior, and this effect was mediated by negative affect. Moreover, multigroup analysis demonstrated that there existed a stronger negative association between BPNS and negative affect in female group. Also, the mediating effect of negative affect in the model was greater for girls. Conclusions: Our findings highlighted the importance of BPNS in adolescents' social behavior (i.e., aggressive behavior), and reveal disparate patterns in how BPNS affects aggressive behavior in girls as compared to boys.

Burn or Balm?: Exploring University Students' Experiences With Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The impact on perceived burnout experiences among university students from the intensification of social media use during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet fully understood. In total, 516 university students (430 females) in a midsized city in Ontario, Canada completed one online survey that explored student characteristics (i.e., personality, life satisfaction, perceived stress, and basic psychological needs) as well as frequency and perceived purpose of social media use. Approximately 80% indicated an increase in their social media use with iMessage/Text messaging, Instagram, and Snapchat being the three most frequently accessed platforms. Social media use was associated with higher levels of perceived stress, extraversion, satisfaction and frustration of psychological relatedness needs, and frustration of competence need. Most students (87%) reported experiencing burnout. Greater burnout was associated with individuals who reported higher perceived stress, scored high in extroversion, and greater use of Instagram. Overall, intensified social media use during the pandemic yielded both positive and negative outcomes.

Impact of a controlling coaching style on athletes' fear of failure: Chain mediating effects of basic psychological needs and sport commitment.

Controlling coaching style is a key predictor of athletes' fear of failure, but the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship require further exploration. Based on the self-determination theory (SDT) and the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (HMIEM), this study investigated the effect of a controlling coaching style on athletes' fear of failure, as well as the chain mediating effects of basic psychological needs and sport commitment. A questionnaire survey of 252 active athletes was administrated using scales for fear of failure, controlling coaching style, sport commitment, and basic psychological needs. The results indicated that a controlling coaching style was negatively correlated with basic psychological needs and indirectly affected athletes' fear of failure via basic psychological needs and constrained commitment. The chain mediating effect of basic psychological needs on enthusiastic commitment was not significant, but it was for constrained commitment. In conclusion, the impact of a controlling coaching style on athletes' fear of failure via basic psychological needs is manifested through the strengthening of constrained commitment rather than the weakening of enthusiastic commitment. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of why and how a controlling coaching style influences athletes' fear of failure. Coaches should seek more scientific and effective ways to instruct their athletes.

Validating the German Short Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale in Individuals with Depression.

Satisfaction and frustration of the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as assessed with the 24-item Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS), have been found to be crucial indicators of individuals' psychological health. To increase the usability of this scale within a clinical and health services research context, we aimed to validate a German short version (12 items) of this scale in individuals with depression including the examination of the relations from need frustration and need satisfaction to ill-being and quality of life (QOL). This cross-sectional study involved 344 adults diagnosed with depression (Mage (SD) = 47.5 years (11.1); 71.8% females). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the short version of the BPNSFS was not only reliable, but also fitted a six-factor structure (i.e., satisfaction/frustration X type of need). Subsequent structural equation modeling showed that need frustration related positively to indicators of ill-being and negatively to QOL. Surprisingly, need satisfaction did not predict differences in ill-being or QOL. The short form of the BPNSFS represents a practical instrument to measure need satisfaction and frustration in people with depression. Further, the results support recent evidence on the importance of especially need frustration in the prediction of psychopathology.

A self-support approach to satisfy basic psychological needs during difficult situations.

We tested whether a self-support approach to satisfy basic psychological needs to increase students' basic need satisfaction, mindfulness, and subjective vitality, and decrease their need frustration, coronavirus, and test anxiety during the novel coronavirus and university final exams. Three hundred and thirty students (M age = 21.45, SD = 2.66) participated in this 6-day long experimental study and they were randomly allocated to either experimental (self-support approach, n = 176) or control (no-intervention) condition. Students completed the targeted questionnaires at the beginning (first day of the university final exams, Time 1) middle (3 days after the beginning of the study, Time 2), and the end of study (6 days after the beginning of the study, Time 3). Compared to students in the control condition, students in the experimental condition reported higher need satisfaction, mindfulness, subjective vitality, and lower need frustration, coronavirus, and test anxiety. Through a path analysis, the experimental condition predicted positively students higher need satisfaction, which in turn, predicted their higher subjective vitality, and lower coronavirus and test anxiety at Time 3. Results highlighted the importance of a self-support approach on students' outcomes during difficult situations, that have implications for theory and practice.

Developmental trajectories of positivity from mid-childhood to early adolescence: Family and school environmental predictors.

This study examined the heterogeneity in positivity trajectories and the predictive roles of family and school environments (i.e., perceived parental warmth and basic psychological need satisfactions at school) from mid-childhood to early adolescence. Elementary school students in China (N = 2204, 54.9% boys, Mage  = 9.47 years) completed relevant measures on six occasions, every 6 months. Latent class growth modeling revealed four heterogeneous developmental trajectories of positivity: High-Increasing (50.6%), Moderate Low-Increasing (33.2%), Low-Stable (11.0%), and High-Decreasing (5.2%). Perceived parental warmth and satisfaction of relatedness and competence needs at school significantly predicted trajectory class membership. Findings underscore the value of identifying group difference in positivity development in youth and the need for specific interventions targeting their unique characteristics.

Association of Basic Psychological Need Fulfillment and School Happiness with Obesity Levels and Intensity of Physical Activity during Physical Education Classes in South Korean Adolescents.

This study examined the relationship between basic psychological need fulfillment (BPNF) and school happiness in relation to the intensity of physical activity exhibited by adolescents during physical education (PE) classes and their obesity levels. We measured BPNF and school happiness using a questionnaire administered to 600 junior high school students. After exclusion, 532 questionnaires were analyzed. A 3D accelerometer (GT3X model) from Actigraph and the body mass index were used to measure physical activity intensity and obesity, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that BPNF and school happiness were significantly associated with physical activity intensity. Specifically, students who engaged in high-intensity physical activity exhibited higher levels of BPNF and school happiness. Additionally, BPNF and school happiness were not significantly related to obesity, whereas a significant relationship was observed between BPNF, school happiness, and the interaction between physical activity intensity and obesity level. This finding implies that adolescents with higher physical activity intensity and lower obesity reported higher levels of BPNF and school happiness. These findings suggest that physical activity intensity during PE classes significantly influences emotional development. Therefore, incorporating moderate-to-vigorous physical activity into PE may serve as a strategy for promoting emotional development in adolescents.

Effects of Basic Psychological Needs on Physical Self-Efficacy and Attitudes toward PE in Korean Middle-School Physical Education.

This study explored the effect of basic psychological needs in secondary physical education (PE) classes in South Korea on physical self-efficacy and attitudes toward PE. Data from 296 middle-school students were collected from May to June 2022 in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do. Participants were surveyed via simple random sampling. Confirmatory factor, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were conducted, and reliability was assessed with Cronbach's α. Basic psychological needs had a significant positive effect on physical self-efficacy. Competence and autonomy positively and significantly affected perceived physical competence (ß = 0.535 and 0.320, respectively). Basic psychological needs had a significant positive effect on classroom attitudes toward PE. Autonomy and relatedness positively and significantly affected basic attitudes (ß = 0.317 and 0.388, respectively) and social attitudes (ß = 0.3498 and 0.213, respectively). Physical self-efficacy had a significant positive effect on PE classroom attitudes. Perceived physical competence and physical self-presentation confidence had a positive and significant effect on basic attitudes (ß = 0.258 and 0.166, respectively). The results implied that attitudes toward school life can be improved through physical activity in secondary PE classes.

Social support and psychological well-being in younger and older adults: The mediating effects of basic psychological need satisfaction.

This study examined the associations between social support from different relationship types (i.e., spouses, children, friends, and parents) and psychological well-being (i.e., happiness and depressive symptoms), and the mediating effects of basic psychological need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in these associations. A dataset on social support, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and psychological well-being was collected from 823 South Korean adults (the mean of age = 48.83; 50.40% male). Results showed that social support from spouses and friends had the most robust associations with happiness and depressive symptoms. In addition, the satisfaction of needs for autonomy and relatedness mediated the associations between social support from spouses and friends, and happiness and depressive symptoms. However, these associations differed by age groups. Although social support satisfied basic psychological needs better for younger adults than for older adults, the satisfaction of needs for autonomy and relatedness was critical in order to support well-being for both groups.

Relationships between children-related factors, basic psychological need satisfaction, and multiple happiness among urban empty-nesters in China: a structural equation modeling.

BACKGROUND: Aging and empty-nesting in China are becoming more and more serious. Empty-nesters refer to older adults who were not living with their children, were living alone, or were living independently with their spouses. The mental health of empty-nesters needs timely attention. Satisfying the needs of older adults is primarily dependent on their children. Therefore, this study aimed to explore relationships between children-related factors, basic psychological need satisfaction, and multiple happiness among urban empty-nesters in China. METHODS: This study employs the Children-related Factors Questionnaire (CFQ), the Chinese Version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction (BPNS) Scale, and the Multiple Happiness Questionnaire (MHQ) to explore children-related factors, basic psychological need satisfaction and multiple happiness of urban empty-nesters in Fuzhou, China. A total of 507 samples were recruited by cluster sampling. RESULTS: Factors that affect BPNS include physical condition, the number of children, satisfaction with children's marriage, employment and income, retirement, gender, monthly personal income, and self-care have statistical differences (P < 0.05). Factors that affect MHQ include physical condition, the number of children, satisfaction with children's marriage, employment and income, gender, monthly personal income, living status, and self-care have statistical significances (P < 0.05). Structural equation model results showed that BPNS directly impacted MHQ, and factors about children indirectly affect MHQ through BPNS. The mediating role of BPNS in the relationship between children-related factors and MHQ. CONCLUSION: We should encourage our children to spend more time with the empty-nesters and communicate with them, which could help them relieve their negative emotions, satisfy their psychological needs, and improve their well-being. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Reg date: 20/08/2021; No. ChiCTR2100050175.

Longitudinal Associations between Teacher-Student Relationships and Prosocial Behavior in Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Basic Need Satisfaction.

The quality of teacher-student relationships has been shown to relate to adolescents' prosocial behavior, but the motivational mechanisms underlying this association remained unclear. Based on relationships motivation theory (RMT), we examined whether the associations between teacher-student relationships (closeness and conflict) and prosocial behavior are bidirectional, and the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness need satisfaction) in these links. Data were collected from a sample of 438 secondary school students who completed a survey at two-time points over eight months. The cross-lagged autoregressive model revealed that the relation between close teacher-student relationship and prosocial behavior was bidirectional over time. Moreover, relatedness need satisfaction mediated the positive effect of close teacher-student relationship and the negative effect of teacher-student relationship conflict on adolescents' prosocial behavior. This study highlights the importance of close teacher-student relationship and relatedness need satisfaction to foster adolescents' prosocial behavior.

Basic psychological need satisfaction and well-being for gig workers: a fuzzy set QCA approach in DiDi of China.

With the rapid development of the gig economy, the psychological needs of gig workers have gradually attracted attention. The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between basic psychological need and well-being. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to analyze questionnaire data from a sample of 422 DiDi drivers in China. The results show that there are altogether 10 basic psychological need satisfaction combination configurations to improve the well-being of gig workers. In general, Chinese gig workers pay more attention to whether respect and recognition, and occupational planning are met. This study contributes to the literature of basic psychological need and gig workers' well-being in the Chinese context. In the analysis of asymmetric relationship, it has some noticeable advantages, because it allows to explore how basic psychological needs are combined with the necessary and sufficient conditions, so as to form the basis for the well-being of gig workers. It represents a promising new direction for gig workers' well-being.

The validation of the Norwegian Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale: A stratified sampling procedure.

This study aimed to validate the Norwegian version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) and to examine its relations with indicators of well-being and ill-being. Additionally, despite the vast number of studies employing the BPNSFS, norms related to the BPNSFS are currently lacking. Therefore, we also aimed to provide normative data for this scale. Data were collected among a representative sample of 326 participants (M age = 42.90 years, SD = 14.76; range 18-70) in Norway, of which 49.7% was female. Results yielded evidence for a six-factor structure (i.e., combining satisfaction/frustration with the type of need) and showed the subscales to be highly reliable. Subsequent structural equation modeling showed that both need satisfaction and need frustration related strongly to vitality, life satisfaction, and internalizing symptoms, but in opposite ways. Norm scores were provided, thereby differentiating between women and men and different age groups. These findings support the use of the Norwegian BPNSFS and provide researchers and professionals with normative data on the most widely used tool to assess individuals' satisfaction and frustration of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Creativity in Recreational Figure Roller-Skating: A Pilot Study on the Psychological Benefits in School-Age Girls.

Creative strategies allow students to feel ownership of their learning, fostering interest and motivation towards sports and educational contexts. This study aimed to compare different psychological variables after applying creative and traditional sessions of recreational figure roller-skating. Twelve school-age female skaters (9.00 ± 1.09 years old) participated in this pilot study. They performed two sessions: (1) a creative session (where participants created their own choreography) and (2) a traditional session (where participants followed the choreography created by the sports professional). In the creative session, participants created their choreographies without instructions. The basic psychological needs scale, the measure of intentionality to be physically active (sports adherence) and the games and emotions scale were administered after each session. The creative intervention led to a higher satisfaction of the needs of perceived competence (p-value = 0.04; effect size = 0.59), social relationships (p-value = 0.03; effect size = 0.62) and adherence to figure roller-skating (p-value = 0.02; effect size = 0.69), compared to the traditional intervention in female skaters. Participants showed significantly more humor and less surprise in the creative session than in the traditional session. This greater satisfaction with perceived competence and social relationships could translate into greater adherence to sports.

Physical Exercise and Undergraduate Students' Subjective Well-Being: Mediating Roles of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Sleep Quality.

This study aimed to examine the association between physical exercise and subjective well-being among undergraduate students, as well as its underlying mechanism-the potential mediating roles of basic psychological need satisfaction and sleep quality-from the perspective of self-determination theory. A sample of 770 undergraduate students (mean age was 19.90 ± 1.15 years old; 464 women) were recruited voluntarily to complete a set of measures examining physical exercise habits, psychological need satisfaction in exercise, sleep quality, and subjective well-being. The results indicated that (1) physical exercise was positively associated with undergraduate students' subjective well-being; (2) psychological need satisfaction and sleep quality could significantly mediate this relation, which contained three pathways-the independent mediating effects of sleep quality and basic psychological need satisfaction and the sequential mediating effect of them. These findings not only reveal the mediating mechanism underlying the relation between physical exercise and subjective well-being by integrating the psychological and physical factors together but also provide an empirical basis for formulating prevention and intervention programs aimed at promoting the health and subjective well-being of undergraduate students.