The Self-Determination Theory proposes autonomy, competence, and relatedness as three psychological needs that are intrinsically linked to the mental health, well-being, and academic success of higher education students. This study aimed to validate a shortened version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale for the population of higher education students in Portugal. Participants (N = 800) were recruited online and responded to the 12 items of the scale along with a sociodemographic questionnaire. The sample was randomly divided into two sub-samples for exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 380) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 420). The EFA results suggested a 3-factor structure, corresponding to the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The adequacy of this structure was supported by the CFA results. All subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α = .68 to .85) and high correlations (r = .63 to .68) with subjective well-being, confirming the convergent validity of the measure. The findings support the use of the scale in psychoeducational interventions in higher education and in research, particularly in identifying institutional factors that contribute to enhancing students’ positive functioning.

Authors:
Maria Teixeira, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Márcia Laranjeira, University of Lisbon, Portugal

About the Presenter(s)
Maria Odília Teixeira is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisboa

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

Bookmark