Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration in Japan: Controlling for the Big Five Personality Traits
Abstract: The present study investigated the function of satisfaction and frustration of the basic psychological needs autonomy, competence, and relatedness that contribute to subjective well being (life satisfaction, vitality, and depression) through a back translation procedure of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) A total of 564 Japanese undergraduates (356 males, 205 females, three unknown; M age 18.61 years, SD 1.48) participated in a questionnaire survey. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the BPNSFS had the same six factor structure as that found in the original version. Structural equation modeling showed that satisfaction of each of the three needs contributed to the prediction of subjective well being (life satisfaction and vitality) whereas frustration of each need uniquely contributed to the prediction of ill being (depressed affect) These results support previous findings found in Belgium, China, the USA, and Peru, confirming that satisfaction of basic psychological needs represents a critical element for healthy functioning across cultures. However, controlling for the effects of the Big Five personality traits indicates the possible over estimation for the functions of the needs while clarifying these roles.