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The Longitudinal Relationships Between Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction at School and School-Related Subjective Well-Being in Adolescents

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Abstract

Situated within a positive psychology perspective, this study aimed at examining the nature and directionality of longitudinal relationships between basic psychological needs satisfaction at school and adolescents’ school-related subjective well-being. A total of 576 students (40.5 male and 36.8 % students in junior high school) completed measures of adolescent students’ basic psychological needs at school and school-related subjective well-being at two time points, 6 weeks apart. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling showed significant bidirectional longitudinal relationships between autonomy, relatedness, and competence needs satisfaction and school satisfaction. Furthermore, significant bidirectional relationships were observed between competence need satisfaction and positive affect in school. The findings provided important evidence of the roles of adolescents’ different types of needs satisfaction, experienced specifically during school, in adolescents’ school-related subjective well-being. The findings also helped extend the positive psychology perspective to the relatively neglected context of education.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Project of Key Research Base for Humanities and Social Sciences Research of Ordinary Higher Institutions in Guangdong Province (No. 11JDXM19001) and “12th Five-Year” Plan of Philosophy and Social Science Development in Guangzhou City (No. 11Y24). This study was also supported by Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, and Research Center for Crisis Intervention and Psychological Service of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University. We gratefully acknowledge the reviewers for their very helpful comments and suggestions.

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  1. School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, People’s Republic of China

    Lili Tian & Huan Chen

  2. Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    E. Scott Huebner

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Tian, L., Chen, H. & Huebner, E.S. The Longitudinal Relationships Between Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction at School and School-Related Subjective Well-Being in Adolescents. Soc Indic Res 119, 353–372 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0495-4

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