The Structure of Need Fulfillment

Self-Determination Theory predicts that fulfillment of the three psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness predicts well-being. Fulfillment of these needs has long been considered a uni-dimensional construct consisting of need satisfaction and (reverse coded) need dissatisfaction. Recent research suggests that satisfaction and dissatisfaction should be separated. We tested whether need satisfaction and dissatisfaction can be distinguished psychometrically and whether they have unique effects in predicting well-being. We used data from a daily-diary study of 135 participants over the course of 42 days. A six factor solution (with one satisfaction and one dissatisfaction factor per need) for the Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs scale (BMPN) fitted the data best at both the betweenperson and the within-person level of analysis. We concluded that (a) the BMPN can be used to reliably assess satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the three needs specified by Self-Determination Theory; (b) need satisfaction and dissatisfaction can and should be separated psychometrically; (c) these findings hold at both the between-person and the within-person level of analysis; (d) all three needs predict wellbeing at the within-person level, but only competence and relatedness predict well-being at the between-person level; and (e) need satisfaction and dissatisfaction predict unique variance in well-being.