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The balanced measure of psychological needs (BMPN) scale: An alternative domain general measure of need satisfaction

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Abstract

Psychological need constructs have received increased attention within self-determination theory research. Unfortunately, the most widely used need-satisfaction measure, the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS; Gagné in Motiv Emot 27:199–223, 2003), has been found to be problematic (Johnston and Finney in Contemp Educ Psychol 35:280–296, 2010). In the current study, we formally describe an alternate measure, the Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs (BMPN). We explore the factor structure of student responses to both the BPNS and the BMPN, followed by an empirical comparison of the BPNS to the BMPN as predictors of relevant outcomes. For both scales, we tested a model specifying three latent need factors (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and two latent method factors (satisfaction and dissatisfaction). By specifying and comparing a series of nested confirmatory factor analytic models, we examine the theoretical structure of the need satisfaction variables and produce evidence for convergent and discriminant validity of the posited constructs. The results of our examination suggest that the three need variables should not be combined into one general need factor and may have separate satisfaction and dissatisfaction dimensions. Our model comparisons also suggest the BMPN may be an improved instrument for SDT researchers.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Kennon M. Sheldon

  2. Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN, USA

    Jonathan C. Hilpert

Authors
  1. Kennon M. Sheldon
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  2. Jonathan C. Hilpert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kennon M. Sheldon.

Appendix: The BMPN

Appendix: The BMPN

Relatedness

  1. 1.

    I felt a sense of contact with people who care for me, and whom I care for.

  2. 2.

    I was lonely.

  3. 3.

    I felt close and connected with other people who are important to me.

  4. 4.

    I felt unappreciated by one or more important people.

  5. 5.

    I felt a strong sense of intimacy with the people I spent time with.

  6. 6.

    I had disagreements or conflicts with people I usually get along with.

Competence

  1. 7.

    I was successfully completing difficult tasks and projects.

  2. 8.

    I experienced some kind of failure, or was unable to do well at something.

  3. 9.

    I took on and mastered hard challenges.

  4. 10.

    I did something stupid, that made me feel incompetent.

  5. 11.

    I did well even at the hard things.

  6. 12.

    I struggled doing something I should be good at.

Autonomy

  1. 13.

    13. I was free to do things my own way.

  2. 14.

    14. I had a lot of pressures I could do without.

  3. 15.

    15. My choices expressed my “true self.”

  4. 16.

    16. There were people telling me what I had to do.

  5. 17.

    17. I was really doing what interests me.

  6. 18.

    18. I had to do things against my will.

Administration

Items should be alternated from the three subscales. Participants might rate their lives in general, their experience during some recent period of time, or their experience within some particular context or setting. Item wording may be modified slightly to fit (items above pertain to participants’ recent experiences).

Scoring

Satisfaction (odd items) and Satisfaction (even items) scores should be computed for each need (6 subscale scores in all). These may be examined separately, or, three aggregate need satisfaction scores can be computed by subtracting the dissatisfaction score for a particular need from the satisfaction score for that need.

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Sheldon, K.M., Hilpert, J.C. The balanced measure of psychological needs (BMPN) scale: An alternative domain general measure of need satisfaction. Motiv Emot 36, 439–451 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-012-9279-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-012-9279-4

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