The role of observed autonomy support, reciprocity, and need satisfaction in adolescent disclosure about friends

Grounded in the basic needs mini-theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), this study examined the interplay among perceptions of the social environment manifested in vocational dance schools, basic need satisfaction, and indices of elite dancers’ well- and ill-being. The hypothesized mediating role of need satisfaction was also tested. Dancers (N = 392) completed a questionnaire tapping the targeted variables. Structural equation modeling supported a model in which perceptions of task-involving dance environments positively predicted need satisfaction. Perceived ego-involving climates negatively corresponded with competence and relatedness. Perceptions of autonomy support were positively related to autonomy and relatedness. Need satisfaction positively predicted positive affect. Competence and relatedness satisfaction corresponded negatively to reported negative affect. Emotional and physical exhaustion was not related to need satisfaction. Partial support emerged for the assumed mediation of the needs. Results highlight the relevance of task-involving and autonomy-supportive dance climates for elite dancers’ need satisfaction and healthful engagement in vocational dance.

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Antecedents and consequences of parental psychological control and autonomy support: The role of psychological basic needs

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407518756778 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 1168-1189 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Sebastiano Costa ◽

Maria C. Gugliandolo ◽

Nadia Barberis ◽

Francesca Cuzzocrea ◽

Francesca Liga

Keyword(s):

Autonomy Support ◽

Psychological Control ◽

Basic Needs ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Need Satisfaction ◽

Parental Psychological Control ◽

Supportive Parenting ◽

Needs Satisfaction ◽

Need Frustration

Research suggests that psychologically controlling and autonomy-supportive parenting can be described within the Self-Determination Theory’s (SDT) framework. Two studies were conducted to examine (a) the role of parental need frustration as a predictor of parental psychological control, (b) the role of parental need satisfaction as a predictor of parental autonomy support, and (c) the role of parents’ psychological control and autonomy support in the intergenerational transmission of satisfaction and frustration of the psychological basic needs. Study 1 provided evidence, in a sample of 203 Italian coupled parents, that needs frustration and needs satisfaction represent distinct antecedents of psychological control and autonomy support. Study 2, showed that in 135 families, the intergenerational association between parents’ and adolescents’ need frustration was partially mediated by psychological control and autonomy support. Results clearly showed that parents who experienced high level of psychological needs frustration are more likely to use psychological control and in turn to promote a feeling of need frustration in their adolescents; differently, parents who experienced high levels of psychological needs satisfaction tend to exert more autonomy support in their relationship with their children and in turn adolescents tend to perceive higher level of needs satisfaction. These findings are discussed in light of SDT and underline the importance of needs in the parenting context and have implications for interventions.

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Does autonomy support matter for intern well-being in Malaysia? A self-determination theory approach

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration ◽

10.1108/apjba-02-2021-0054 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Manli Gu ◽

Li Liu ◽

Ester Ellen Trees Bolt

Keyword(s):

Work Engagement ◽

Autonomy Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Need Satisfaction ◽

Self Determination ◽

The West ◽

Content Type ◽

Perceived Autonomy Support

PurposeResearch has shown that autonomy support is a powerful predictor of employee well-being in the West. Despite this importance in the West, the role of autonomy in relation to employee well-being remains relatively understudied in other contexts, such as Malaysia. This is presumably so due to the assumption that employees in a country of excessive hierarchy, like Malaysia, do not value autonomy. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this paper aims to investigate the relationship between employee perceived autonomy support and well-being in the context of Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose that employee-perceived autonomy support is positively related to employee well-being (measured as work engagement and emotional exhaustion) mediated by basic psychological need satisfaction. The authors also hypothesize that the positive relationship is even stronger when employees are less autonomy-oriented. The authors tested this moderated mediation model using a survey of 125 interns in Malaysia.FindingsThe results provide strong evidence for the mediating role of need satisfaction when intern well-being is measured as work engagement, while the evidence is less conclusive when employee well-being is measured as emotional exhaustion. Moreover, the moderating effect of autonomy orientation is insignificant.Originality/valueThis paper enhances understanding of the cross-culture applicability of SDT and thereby provided a nuanced understanding of the boundary conditions of autonomy support.

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