Examining the role of psychological need satisfaction in sleep: A Self-Determination Theory perspective

The motivation behind better sleep: self-determination as a framework for examining sleep outcomes in college students

OBJECTIVE

To examine sleep health within a self-determination framework across a diverse college sample.

PARTICIPANTS

A nonclinical sample of undergraduate students (n = 399) from a large, urban, public university in the Mid-Atlantic United States in Spring 2020.

METHODS

Participants were recruited via an online research participation portal and received extra credit for participation. All measures were administered via an online survey.

RESULTS

Basic psychological need satisfaction was associated with sleep health. This association was partially mediated by sleep hygiene but not by regulatory style. There were no racial/ethnic differences in sleep health, sleep hygiene, basic need satisfaction, or regulatory style. Men reported more maladaptive motivational styles for sleep health, and non-binary/transgender students reported worse sleep hygiene.

CONCLUSION

Basic psychological need satisfaction and sleep hygiene are critical targets for intervention across diverse college student populations. Motivation may be less critical for nonclinical interventions.

Longitudinal Association between Maternal Autonomy Support and Controlling Parenting and Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms

Most studies on autonomy support and controlling parenting rely on children's perceptions, despite the limitations of this approach. This study investigated congruency between autonomy support and controlling parenting reported by mothers and adolescents and their association with adolescents' depressive symptoms via basic psychological needs satisfaction. Participants included 408 Japanese mother-adolescent (Mage = 13.73, SD = 0.90, 52% female) pairs who completed a questionnaire at two time points four months apart. Results demonstrated low to moderate levels of mother-adolescent agreement. Cross-lagged regression models revealed that mothers' reported autonomy support positively predicted adolescents' basic psychological needs satisfactions, which was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. The independent roles of parenting reported by mothers and adolescents for adolescents' well-being were discussed.

Association Between Head Impact Exposure, Psychological Needs, and Indicators of Mental Health Among U.S. High School Tackle Football Players

PURPOSE

Age of first exposure to tackle football and head impact kinematics have been used to examine the effect of head impacts on mental health outcomes. These measures coupled with retrospective and cross-sectional designs have contributed to conflicting results. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of one season of head impact exposure, age of first exposure to football, and psychological need satisfaction on acute mental health outcomes in adolescent football players.

METHODS

This prospective single-season cohort study used sensor-installed mouthguards to collect head impact exposure along with surveys to assess age of first exposure to football, psychological satisfaction, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and thriving from football players at four high schools (n = 91). Linear regression was used to test the association of head impact exposure, age of first exposure, and psychological satisfaction with acute mental health outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 9,428 impacts were recorded with a mean of 102 ± 113 impacts/player. Cumulative head impact exposure and age of first exposure were not associated with acute mental health outcomes at postseason or change scores from preseason to postseason. Greater psychological satisfaction was associated with fewer depressive symptoms (β = -0.035, SE = 0.008, p = < .001), fewer anxiety symptoms (β = -0.021, SE = 0.008, p = .010), and greater thriving scores (β = 0.278, SE = 0.040, p = < .001) at postseason.

DISCUSSION

This study does not support the premise that greater single-season head impact exposure or earlier age of first exposure to tackle football is associated with worse acute mental health indicators over the course of a single season in adolescent football players.

Role conflict, need frustration and supervisor support: a moderated-mediation model of employee voice and silence

Purpose

Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether role conflict is associated with frustration of employees’ basic needs and whether need frustration is associated with withdrawal in the form of reduced voice and increased silence. This paper also investigates if supervisor support mitigates potential detrimental outcomes of need frustration.

Design/methodology/approach

In this survey-based study, 201 full-time employees participated. Self-reports regarding voice and silence behaviors at work were collected as were perceptions of role conflict, need frustration and supervisor support.

Findings

The results of this study support the proposed moderated mediation relationships for both employee voice and silence behaviors. Specifically, need frustration mediates the relationship between role conflict and the two outcome variables. Perceived supervisor support moderates the path between need frustration and both voice and silence behaviors.

Practical implications

Employees are an organization’s first line of defense against potential accidents, inefficiencies and other organizational crises. When they perceive their needs are not met and they are not supported by their supervisors, employees are likely to seek to protect themselves from further resource loss by withholding feedback even if such feedback may enhance organizational effectiveness and prevent organizational crises.

Originality/value

Given that voice and silence are not opposites of each other, it is important to study both in a single study, as this study does. This study proposes and tests a heretofore untested explanation for the relationship between role conflict and voice and silence. The authors identify a buffer with potential to mitigate the negative effects of need frustration.

Longitudinal interplays between basic psychological need satisfaction and sleep among older adults in China

RATIONALE

Older people's sleep and associated health implications loom large in aging societies. Self-determination theory indicates lagged or immediate interplays between subjective sleep and satisfaction of basic psychological needs (for autonomy, relatedness, and competence). However, little is known about their longitudinal dynamics in later life.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated longitudinal reciprocities between satisfaction of basic psychological needs and subjective sleep for older people and controlled for six sociodemographic and health-related covariates.

METHOD

Three waves of data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2011, 2014, and 2017) were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (N = 2,834, 52.68% women, Mean age = 78.36). Participants reported sleep quality and duration, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and sociodemographic and health characteristics. Four competing models were examined: Model A conceptualized lagged effects of sleep on need satisfaction and vice versa (i.e. cross-lagged design), Model B described immediate needs' effects on sleep but lagged opposite effects, Model C reversed Model B's specifications, and Model D portrayed concurrent feedback loops.

RESULTS

It was found that satisfaction of psychological needs and sleep quality declined over the seven-year span, but sleep length only fluctuated trivially. All models fitted the data well, where better sleep quality consistently predicted higher levels of need satisfaction, especially for relatedness and competence. Sleep interacted most robustly with relatedness: Models A, B, and C revealed positive lagged or immediate reciprocities between sleep quality and relatedness, and Model D yielded negative feedback loops between sleep length and relatedness.

CONCLUSIONS

The study identified longitudinal immediate or lagged interplays between need satisfaction and sleep for older people, especially concerning relatedness need. Implementation of need-supportive interventions and promotion of healthy sleep habits are necessary for healthy aging.

Physical Exercise and Undergraduate Students’ Subjective Well-Being: Mediating Roles of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Sleep Quality

This study aimed to examine the association between physical exercise and subjective well-being among undergraduate students, as well as its underlying mechanism—the potential mediating roles of basic psychological need satisfaction and sleep quality—from the perspective of self-determination theory. A sample of 770 undergraduate students (mean age was 19.90 ± 1.15 years old; 464 women) were recruited voluntarily to complete a set of measures examining physical exercise habits, psychological need satisfaction in exercise, sleep quality, and subjective well-being. The results indicated that (1) physical exercise was positively associated with undergraduate students’ subjective well-being; (2) psychological need satisfaction and sleep quality could significantly mediate this relation, which contained three pathways—the independent mediating effects of sleep quality and basic psychological need satisfaction and the sequential mediating effect of them. These findings not only reveal the mediating mechanism underlying the relation between physical exercise and subjective well-being by integrating the psychological and physical factors together but also provide an empirical basis for formulating prevention and intervention programs aimed at promoting the health and subjective well-being of undergraduate students.

Examining and Promoting Sleep Health in the Undergraduate Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Objective: Although college students are at heightened risk for sleep disturbances, healthy sleep is associated with positive physical, cognitive, psychological, and academic benefits for this group. The goals of the current study were to (1) describe sleep health in an undergraduate college sample and (2) examine the role of a class activity using self-determination theory to promote better sleep health in this group. Methods: A cohort study was conducted using data drawn from class activities conducted in two undergraduate Introduction to Psychology courses. Students were undergraduates at a mid-Atlantic public university in the United States. Total sample size was N = 224 (intervention class [n = 98], and the control class [n = 127]). Both the intervention and control classes completed the RU SATED sleep health questionnaire at the beginning and the end of the semester. The intervention class also completed a self-determination activity focused on sleep health mid-semester. Both the RU SATED questionnaires and the self-determination activities were completed via in-class responder technology. Data were de-identified and downloaded from the responder technology at the end of the semester. Mixed methods were used for data analysis including quantitative analyses and a qualitative approach using a phenomenological, inductive, and reflexive qualitative method whereby themes were allowed to emerge from the data. Results: Overall, almost 25% of the students reported never or rarely obtaining healthy sleep on average. The majority (76%) said they sometimes have healthy sleep and no students reported usually or always obtaining healthy sleep. The components of sleep health the entire sample scored highest on were timing (sleeping between 2 and 4 AM), sleep duration (between 7 and 9 h), and staying awake during the day. The areas they scored the lowest on were maintaining regular bed and wake times, spending less than 30 min awake at night, and feeling satisfied with their sleep. Qualitatively, the most frequently obtained sleep health behaviors of the intervention class were rhythmicity, prioritizing sleep, timing of sleep, and tech hygiene. The intervention class had significantly better sleep health across the entire semester and significantly better daytime alertness post-intervention. The most commonly chosen sleep health behaviors to change were sleep hygiene, tech hygiene, and stimulus control. Conclusion: We examined the classroom environment as a venue for promoting sleep health among college students. Given the popularity of Introduction to Psychology courses, this class is a promising avenue to deliver sleep health promotions to a large number of students. The implementation of a self-determination framework, as part of sleep health promotion, shows potential for creating a person-centered, strengths-based approach to health behavior change within this population.

Use and effect of embodied conversational agents for improving eating behavior and decreasing loneliness among community-dwelling older adults: A randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

Background

Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) have been proposed as a promising interaction modality for the delivery of programs focused on promoting lifestyle changes. However, it is not understood what factors influence the health effects of ECAs or their use.

Objective

We aimed to (1) identify whether ECAs could persuade community-dwelling older adults to change their dietary behavior and whether ECA use could decrease loneliness, (2) test the pathways to these effects, and (3) understand factors influencing the use of ECAs.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial was conducted. The intervention group received access to the PACO service for 8 weeks. The waitlist group started PACO use after waiting for 4 weeks. Two primary outcomes (eating behavior and loneliness) were assessed via online questionnaires at intake, upon joining the waitlist, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks. The third primary outcome (use) was assessed via data logs. Secondary outcomes were measured at the same time points, via questionnaires or an optional interview.

Results

In total, 32 participants completed the intervention. We found a significant correlation between use in minutes on the one hand, and perceived usefulness (r=0.39, P=.03) and enjoyment on the other (r=0.38, P=.03). However, these did not predict use in the full regression model (F_2,29=1.98, P=.16, R²=0.12). Additionally, PACO use did not lead to improvement in eating behavior (χ²₂=0.34, P=.85) or a decrease in loneliness (χ²₂=0.02, P=.99).

Conclusions

Our study did not provide any concluding evidence about factors that are linked to the use or health effects of ECAs. Future service design could benefit from either creating a functional design catering to the predominant stage in the precaution adoption process model of the targeted population, or by personalizing the service based on an intake in which the end user’s stage is determined.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04510883; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04510883

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/22186

Value Consistency across Relational Roles and Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Self-Concept Clarity

Living in today’s complex social world can contribute to the development of a multi-faceted personal identity and to the risk of identity dispersion. This study focused on values, which are conceptualised as the core of one’s personal identity. It aimed to explore the within-person value consistency across relational roles (i.e., relationships with parents, partners, and friends) and to analyse the association between value consistency, self-concept clarity, and basic psychological needs satisfaction. One hundred ninety-five Italian young adults (F = 85%; Mage = 26.65, SD = 3.83) participated in the study. They completed the Values in Context Questionnaire, the Self-Concept Clarity Scale, and the satisfaction subscale from the Basic Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale. Findings showed high value consistencies across the relational roles. Specifically, consistency is higher when values as a partner and values as a friend are considered. Moreover, the relation between value consistency and basic psychological needs satisfaction was fully mediated by self-concept clarity. Limitations of the study, future research developments, and practical implications of the results are discussed.

Basic Psychological Need Profiles and Correlates in Physical Activity Participation: A Person-Centered Approach

Guided by Basic Psychological Need Theory, we investigated the combined associations between need satisfaction and need frustration (i.e., need profiles) and their relations with theoretically relevant correlates including mindfulness, physical literacy, physical activity enjoyment, and physical activity. The participants were Singapore-based school students (N = 844, M age = 12.45, SDage = 1.99, boys = 53.1%) who completed a cross-sectional survey. The results of the latent profile analysis identified four distinct need profiles: profile 1-average satisfaction and frustration (n = 364, 44.1%); profile 2-low satisfaction (n = 251, 29.7%), above average frustration; profile 3-very high satisfaction, very low frustration (n = 144, 17.1%); and profile 4-high satisfaction, very high frustration (n = 85, 10.1%). Among these, profile 3 was the most adaptive one; it had the highest levels of mindfulness, physical literacy, physical activity enjoyment, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Experiences of need satisfaction countered the negative effects of need frustration on these correlates. These findings enhance our understanding of students' psychological need experiences and highlight the need for investigating the combined associations between need satisfaction and need frustration.

Use and Effect of Web-Based Embodied Conversational Agents for Improving Eating Behavior and Decreasing Loneliness Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

An unhealthy eating pattern and loneliness negatively influence quality of life in older age. Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) are a promising way to address these health behaviors in an engaging manner.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to (1) identify whether ECAs can persuade community-dwelling older adults to change their dietary behavior and whether ECA use can decrease loneliness, (2) test these pathways to effects, and (3) understand the use of an ECA.

METHODS

The web-based eHealth app PACO is a fully automated 8-week intervention in which 2 ECAs engage older adults in dialogue to motivate them to change their dietary behavior and decrease their loneliness. PACO was developed via a human-centered and stakeholder-inclusive design approach and incorporates Self-determination Theory and various behavior change techniques. For this study, an unblinded randomized controlled trial will be performed. There will be 2 cohorts, with 30 participants per cohort. Participants in the first cohort will immediately receive the PACO app for 8 weeks, while participants in the second cohort receive the PACO app after a waiting-list condition of 4 weeks. Participants will be recruited via social media, an online panel, flyers, and advertorials. To be eligible, participants must be at least 65 years of age, must not be in paid employment, and must live alone independently at home. Primary outcomes will be self-assessed via online questionnaires at intake, control, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks, and will include eating behavior and loneliness. In addition, the primary outcome-use-will be measured via data logs. Secondary outcomes will be measured at the same junctures, via either validated, self-assessed, online questionnaires or an optional interview.

RESULTS

As of July 2020, we have begun recruiting participants.

CONCLUSIONS

By unraveling the mechanisms behind the use of a web-based intervention with ECAs, we hope to gain a fine-grained understanding of both the effectiveness and the use of ECAs in the health context.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04510883; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04510883.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/22186.

Motivation in the return to work process: a self-determination cluster approach

PURPOSE

Motivation may predict return to work (RTW), yet the measurement of motivation needs more scientific evidence. We adopt a dimensional approach, based on the self-determination theory (SDT), distinguishing between amotivation, controlled and autonomous motivation. We seek to explore the presence of these dimensions in sick-disabled patients, and are interested in associations with quality of life, depression, patient's predictions of RTW, and health care provider estimations of patient's motivation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study in 336 patients was conducted. Motivation was assessed using the Motivation at Work Scale (MAWS) and examined in relation to patient outcomes, patient's prediction of RTW, and health care provider estimations of patients' motivation. A cluster analysis was performed, and differential associations between motivational profiles were explored.

RESULTS

Cluster analysis revealed four profiles. Highly controlled profiles were most prevalent, reported poorer mental quality of life, and expected a longer time before RTW, regardless of the level of autonomous motivation. Interestingly, the health care provider's estimation was not related to controlled motivation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that SDT may help to differentiate people with a work disability regarding their motivation to RTW. Most notably, the devastating consequences of controlled motivation are discussed, and clinical implications are provided.Implications for RehabilitationAssessing the different dimensions of motivation in the context of RTW will be a significant advance as the self-report measures appear to be viable tools.Controlled motivation, which indicates that people are motivated to RTW but only because they "have to", has negative consequences yet a high prevalence and should therefore be addressed by the practitioner.Practitioners should keep in mind that employees are motivated by several motives at the same time, with some being more beneficial than others.Controlled motivation can be converted into autonomous (i.e., good quality) motivation by supporting autonomy of the patient, by supporting their relationships with colleagues, managers, and health care providers and by supporting their feeling of competence in the RTW process.

Toward a Better Understanding of the Reciprocal Relations Between Adolescent Psychological Need Experiences and Sleep

In two diary studies, we examined the reciprocal daily association between the satisfaction and frustration of adolescents’ basic psychological needs and sleep, and the role of stress and fatigue in these associations. In Study 1 ( N = 211; 52% female; Mage = 15.86 years, SD = 1.18 years), daily need experiences were unrelated to daily fluctuations in subjective sleep outcomes. However, shorter daily sleep quantity was related to higher daily fatigue, which in turn related to more daily need frustration and less need satisfaction. Study 2 ( N = 51; 49% female; Mage = 15.88 years, SD = 2.88 years) extended these findings by demonstrating that daily need frustration related to shorter objective sleep quantity and longer wake after sleep onset, indirectly through higher symptoms of stress. Poor sleep quality also related to worse need experiences via higher daily fatigue. These findings underscore the dynamic interplay between daily need experiences and adolescent sleep.

How medical students' perceptions of instructor autonomy-support mediate their motivation and psychological well-being

Purpose: Medical student well-being is an increasing concern in medical education. Understanding the role instructors and programs have in supporting well-being is an important puzzle piece. This study explores the relationship between medical students' perceptions of instructor autonomy-support, motivation, and well-being. Using self-determination theory, we aim to provide a practical framework through which medical instructors can support student autonomy and well-being in the learning environment.Materials and methods: Students from the University of Saskatchewan completed a survey measuring perceptions of the learning climate (LC) (instructor autonomy-support), satisfaction/frustration of basic motivational needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness), and psychological well-being. Multiple linear regression was used to determine whether age, gender, and year of study affected students' well-being, before a mediation model was tested to assess the direct effect of the LC and indirect effects of students' basic need fulfillment on their well-being.Results: The response rate was 183/400 (46%). Higher ratings of autonomy-support significantly predicted better student well-being. This was mediated completely by students' feelings of basic need fulfillment. Relatedness satisfaction contributed most to ratings of instructor autonomy-support.Conclusions: Cultivating autonomy-support for medical students is critical to their well-being. Learning environments that optimize autonomy-support will also support students' feelings of relatedness and competence.

Exploring teachers' motivation to teach: A multisite study on the associations with the work climate, students' motivation, and teaching approaches

PURPOSE

Using Self-determination Theory, the purpose was to determine whether work climate, students' motivation, and teachers' basic psychological needs could predict clinical teachers' autonomous and controlled motivation to teach and whether clinical teachers' motivations could predict student- and teacher-centered teaching approaches METHODS: A correlational cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 across 3 Dental Schools in Chile, in which 206 clinical teachers participated (80.4% response rate). Data were collected on demographic characteristics and 5 self-reported questionnaires measuring teachers' perceptions of the work climate, students' motivation, the satisfaction and frustration of their basic psychological needs, motivation to teach, and teaching approaches. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlations and structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Alpha coefficients were acceptable (0.701-0.948). Correlation and structural equation modeling analyses showed that teachers' perceiving a work climate characterized by a supportive supervisor-teacher relationship and students' autonomous motivation, predicted the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs leading to autonomous motivation to teach. Autonomous motivation to teach, in turn, predicted a student-centered teaching approach. These results were controlled for the confounding effects of age, gender, teaching experience, and type of university.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that clinical teachers' optimal motivation is of paramount importance for promoting an adequate learning environment. Therefore, efforts should be made to understand and foster different aspects that promote clinical teachers' satisfaction of their basic psychological needs and autonomous motivation, especially regarding the role of teachers' supervisors and how teachers perceive their students' motivation.

Fulfilling psychological needs predicts less sleep disruption and worry while awaiting uncertain news

Research on self-determination theory suggests that people have fundamental needs to feel autonomous, competent, and socially connected and that fulfilling these needs is critical for well-being. In the present study, we examined whether fulfilling psychological needs is associated with physical and psychological well-being-specifically sleep disruption and worry, two key indicators of well-being during waiting periods-while managing the unique stress of awaiting uncertain news. In a study of law graduates during the 4 months while they awaited their California bar exam (the exam one is required to pass before practicing law) results, personal increases in need fulfilment related to temporally congruent reductions in sleep disruption and worry. In addition, those whose needs were most fulfilled during the waiting period responded less negatively to failing the bar exam. The picture for need frustration was mixed; only autonomy frustration was associated with concurrent increases in worry, although those whose needs were more frustrated in general also experienced greater worry and sleep disruption on average. On the whole, our findings suggest that self-determination theory needs may be a fruitful target for interventions that can protect well-being while people wait and even once their uncertainty is resolved.

Satisfaction of basic psychological needs following a mild traumatic brain injury and relationships with post-concussion symptoms, anxiety, and depression

PURPOSE

Self-determination theory proposes that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy, and relatedness) is essential to psychological well-being. This study aims to explore the acute impact of a mild traumatic brain injury on the perception of need satisfaction as well as to better understand which variables among post-concussion symptoms and mood are associated with the satisfaction of these psychological needs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 179 adults with mild traumatic brain injury were included. The Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale (BPNS) was completed retrospectively to assess need satisfaction pre-injury and after the injury to assess need satisfaction post-injury. The Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were also completed post injury.

RESULTS

A significant difference between the perception of need satisfaction pre- and post- was found on the total BPNS score, with lower scores on the post-injury evaluation (less satisfaction). Moreover, higher levels of depression and anxiety were associated with less satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury may have a negative impact on the satisfaction of competence, autonomy, and relatedness needs. To conclude, it is recommended that these concepts be included in psychological intervention programs following mild traumatic brain injury.Implications for rehabilitationA significant decrease in psychological need satisfaction is highlighted following mild traumatic brain injury.It is recommended that the needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in intervention programs following mild traumatic brain injury needs to be addressed.The more mild traumatic brain injury patients are anxious and depressed the more likely it is that they will present a diminished satisfaction of needs, expressed by a lower level of perception of their autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Thus, integrative intervention for anxiety as well as depression following mild traumatic brain injury is also recommended.

Integrative emotion regulation: Process and development from a self-determination theory perspective

Grounded in self-determination theory's (SDT; Ryan &amp; Deci, 2017) organismic perspective, we present a process view of integrative emotion regulation. SDT describes three general types of emotion regulation: integrative emotion regulation, which focuses on emotions as carrying information that is brought to awareness; controlled emotion regulation, which is focused on diminishing emotions through avoidance, suppression, or enforced expression or reappraisal; and amotivated emotion regulation, in which emotions are uncontrolled or dysregulated. We review survey and experimental research contrasting these emotion regulation styles, providing evidence for the benefits of integrative emotion regulation for volitional functioning, personal well-being, and high-quality relationships, and for the costs of controlled emotion regulation and dysregulation. The development of emotion regulation styles is discussed, especially the role of autonomy-supportive parenting in fostering more integrative emotion regulation, and the role of controlling parenting in contributing to controlled or dysregulated emotion processing. Overall, integrative emotion regulation represents a beneficial style of processing emotions, which develops most effectively in a nonjudgmental and autonomy-supportive environment, an issue relevant to both development and psychotherapy.

Motivation and participation in daily and social activities among adults with spinal cord injury: Applying self-determination theory

BACKGROUND

Individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) report decreased participation in daily and social activities. Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that individuals' need satisfaction and frustration predicts participation in health-related behaviours and this relationship is mediated by their motivation.

OBJECTIVES

This study explored the role of psychological needs and motivation in relation to participation in daily and social activities among adults with SCI. It was hypothesized that: a) need satisfaction and need frustration were positively associated with autonomous and controlled motivation, respectively, which, positively and negatively predicted participation in daily and social activities; b) autonomous and controlled motivation mediated the need satisfaction/frustration and participation relationship, respectively; and c) need frustration was positively related to amotivation, with no relationship between amotivation and activity participation.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, adults with SCI (N = 131) completed a questionnaire regarding their need satisfaction/frustration, autonomous and controlled motivation, amotivation, and participation in daily and social activities.

RESULTS

Need satisfaction was positively related to autonomous motivation (β = 0.29, 95%bias-corrected confidence interval (bCI): [0.04, 0.67]) and need frustration to controlled motivation (β = 0.28, 95%bCI: [0.09, 0.55]). Autonomous motivation was positively associated with six participation categories: autonomous indoor, autonomous outdoor, family role, health, social life, and work/education. Autonomous motivation also mediated the relationship between need satisfaction and all six participation categories; whereas, neither controlled motivation nor amotivation mediated the relationship between need frustration and participation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that SDT provides a meaningful framework for understanding participation among adults with SCI.

Psychometric Properties of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale – Intellectual Disability (BPNSFS-ID)

Abstract. The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale – Intellectual Disability (BPNSFS-ID), an adapted version of the original BPNSFS ( Chen, Vansteenkiste, et al., 2015 ), operationalizes satisfaction and frustration with the three basic psychological needs according to self-determination theory (SDT): autonomy, relatedness, and competence. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the BPNSFS-ID in a group of 186 adults with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID). The results indicated an adequate factorial structure of the BPNSFS-ID, comprising the satisfaction and frustration of each of the three needs. The associations between BPNSFS-ID subscales autonomy, relatedness, and competence and the self-determination subscale of the Personal Outcome Scale (POS), the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale – 12 (GSES-12), supported the construct validity. In addition, the BPNSFS-ID demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .92) and 2-week test-retest reliability ( r = .81 for the composite subscale autonomy, r = .69 for the composite subscale relatedness, and r = .85 for the composite subscale competence). Overall, the BPNSFS-ID proved to be a valid and reliable measure of basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration among people with MBID.

Preservice Teachers' Mindfulness and Attitudes Toward Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction

Teachers' attitudes toward students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are vital predictors of successful inclusive education. Guided by the basic psychological needs theory, this cross-sectional survey aimed to examine the relationships among mindfulness, basic psychological needs satisfaction (basic psychological needs theory-based construct), and attitudes toward including students with ASD among preservice physical education (PE) teachers. A multisection survey form was administered to 211 preservice PE teachers. Path analysis indicated that mindfulness and basic psychological needs satisfaction positively predicted attitudes toward the inclusion of students with ASD. In addition, mindfulness had an indirect effect on attitudes through basic psychological needs satisfaction. The findings provide a preliminary direction for the development of a mindfulness-based intervention program for enhancing preservice PE teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with ASD. The findings also suggest that the basic psychological needs theory is a useful framework for understanding the relationship between mindfulness and attitudes. Future longitudinal or intervention studies are needed to examine whether the findings can be replicated.

Effect of Brief Mindfulness Induction on University Athletes' Sleep Quality Following Night Training

Given the need to alleviate sleep problems confronting athletes, the present experiment, conducted as much as possible in a naturalistic fashion that mimics daily life, seeks to examine whether a brief mindfulness induction immediately prior to sleep following night training can improve athletes' sleep. A sample of university athletes (n = 80) was recruited and 63 of them were eligible to participate in this experiment. They were then randomly assigned into experimental group (n = 32) and control group (n = 31). Following night training and just prior to sleep, those in the experimental group received a self-administered brief 6-min mindfulness induction via a video clip, whereas the control group participants viewed a similar 6-min video devoid of mindfulness induction passively. Questionnaire-based measures of training intensity, pre-sleep arousal, state mindfulness, and sleep diary (i.e., level of rest, sleep duration, and overall sleep quality) were administered. Results showed that brief mindfulness induction reduced pre-sleep arousal, and improved level of rest and overall sleep quality, but not sleep duration. Pre-sleep arousal was also found to be a partial mediator in the relationship between the brief mindfulness induction and reported level of rest during sleep. These findings suggest that the brief mindfulness induction may be an effective approach for decreasing pre-sleep arousal and improving sleep quality after night training among athletes.

Linking psychological need experiences to daily and recurring dreams

The satisfaction of individuals’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as conceived from a self-determination theory perspective, is said to be conducive to personal growth and well-being. What has been unexamined is whether psychological need-based experiences, either their satisfaction or frustration, manifests in people’s self-reported dream themes as well as their emotional interpretation of their dreams. A cross-sectional study (N = 200; M age = 21.09) focusing on individuals’ recurrent dreams and a three-day diary study (N = 110; M age = 25.09) focusing on daily dreams indicated that individuals experiencing psychological need frustration, either more enduringly or on a day-to-day basis, reported more negative dream themes and interpreted their dreams more negatively. The contribution of psychological need satisfaction was more modest, although it related to more positive interpretation of dreams. The discussion focuses on the role of dreams in the processing and integration of psychological need-frustrating experiences.

Basic psychological need experiences, fatigue, and sleep in individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue

Grounded in self-determination theory, this study tested the hypothesis that the satisfaction and frustration of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness would relate to fatigue and subjective and objective sleep parameters, with stress and negative sleep cognitions playing an explanatory role in these associations. During a stay at a sleep laboratory in Belgium, individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue (N = 160; 78% female) underwent polysomnography and completed a questionnaire at 3 different points in time (i.e., after arrival in the sleep lab, before bedtime, and the following morning) that assessed their need-based experiences and stress during the previous week, fatigue during the preceding day, and sleep-related cognitions and sleep during the previous night. Results indicated that need frustration related to higher stress, which in turn, related to higher evening fatigue. Need frustration also related to poorer subjective sleep quality and shorter sleep duration, as indicated by both subjective and objective shorter total sleep time and subjective (but not objective) longer sleep latency. These associations were accounted for by stress and negative sleep cognitions. These findings suggest that health care professionals working with individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue may consider focusing on basic psychological needs within their therapeutic approach.

The role of basic psychological need satisfaction, sleep, and mindfulness in the health-related quality of life of people living with HIV

Research has not yet examined the relationship between psychological need satisfaction, sleep, mindfulness, and health-related quality of life in people living with HIV. This cross-sectional study ( N = 101; 84% male; mean age = 45.48, SD = 12.75) found need satisfaction to relate positively to physical and mental health. Sleep quality fully mediated the association with physical health and partially mediated the association with mental health. Furthermore, mindfulness related to higher sleep quality through higher need satisfaction. Findings underscore the role of need satisfaction in determining health-related quality of life and sleep quality in people living with HIV and suggest that mindfulness may facilitate need satisfaction.