Validation of the Measurement of Need Frustration

Library resources constraints, frustration, and user behavior: An empirical library operations study

PURPOSE

The lack of requisite library resources has an enormous effect on academic life in most universities. While previous studies have suggested that the lack of resources such as textbooks affects academic success, this study seeks to provide empirical evidence on the chain effect of the lack of recommended textbooks in universities.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The study uses a quantitative dataset from 636 students from five public universities in Ghana collected using well-structured questionnaires. The study adopts exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the measurement and structural models.

FINDINGS

The study concludes that limited library resources (such as recommended textbooks) frustrate library users and eventually birth antisocial behaviors such as stealing, hiding, and eroding books (or pages).

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This study highlights the significance of providing adequate library resources. It also guides library managers, policymakers, and scholars to manage library resources effectively.

Dimensionality, Invariance, and Nomological Network of the Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (NSFS): An Extensive Psychometric Investigation in a Swedish Work Cohort

The present study evaluated the dimensionality, measurement invariance, and nomological network of the Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (NSFS) in a sample of Swedish workers. Using confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation modeling, and bifactor modeling, 30 different measurement models were evaluated cross-sectionally (n = 2123) and longitudinally (n = 1506). Measurement invariance was tested across gender and time. The nomological network of the NSFS was examined through its relations with life satisfaction and cognitive weariness. The findings supported a first-order six-factor ESEM model and measurement invariance of the Swedish version of the NSFS. Need satisfaction was positively related to life satisfaction and unrelated to cognitive weariness. Need frustration was negatively related to life satisfaction and positively related to cognitive weariness. The present study supported a six-factor structure of the Swedish NSFS, which appears suitable for assessing changes over time and gender differences in ratings.

Perceptions of mental health and need satisfaction/frustration among rural university students

OBJECTIVE

Because of COVID-19, higher education changed as institutions went remote and students' mental health was challenged. Rural universities were disproportionately affected because of limited Internet access. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological need satisfaction/frustration and mental health among rural college students during this pandemic.

PARTICIPANTS

Six hundred ninety-eight students (Mage = 22.15 ± 2.55) at a rural South-eastern university were recruited.

METHODS

Participants completed a survey examining stress, anxiety, need satisfaction/frustration and previous experience with online courses.

RESULTS

Anxiety, autonomy and competence frustration were found to predict 60% of the variance of stress. Another regression analysis found stress, autonomy, competence, and relatedness frustration to predict 70% of the anxiety variance.

CONCLUSIONS

Students are frustrated due to the lack of control and restrictions affecting their social interaction. Understanding the relationship between need satisfaction/frustration and mental health can aid university administration in developing interventions that address rural students' needs.

Evaluating Drivers of the Patient Experience Triangle: Stress, Anxiety, and Frustration

Patient experience is a widely used indicator for assessing the quality-of-care process during a patient's journey in hospital. However, the literature rarely discusses three components: patient stress, anxiety, and frustration. Furthermore, little is known about what drives each component during hospital visits. In order to explore this, we utilized data from a patient experience survey, including patient- and provider-related determinants, that was administered at a local hospital in Abu Dhabi, UAE. A machine-learning-based random forest (RF) algorithm, along with its embedded importance analysis function feature, was used to explore and rank the drivers of patient stress, anxiety, and frustration throughout two stages of the patient journey: registration and consultation. The attribute 'age' was identified as the primary patient-related determinant driving patient stress, anxiety, and frustration throughout the registration and consultation stages. In the registration stage, 'total time taken for registration' was the key driver of patient stress, whereas 'courtesy demonstrated by the registration staff in meeting your needs' was the key driver of anxiety and frustration. In the consultation step, 'waiting time to see the doctor/physician' was the key driver of both patient stress and frustration, whereas 'the doctor/physician was able to explain your symptoms using language that was easy to understand' was the main driver of anxiety. The RF algorithm provided valuable insights, showing the relative importance of factors affecting patient stress, anxiety, and frustration throughout the registration and consultation stages. Healthcare managers can utilize and allocate resources to improve the overall patient experience during hospital visits based on the importance of patient- and provider-related determinants.

Need satisfaction and frustration scale (NSFS): adaptation and validation for Brazilian gig work context

Purpose

This study aims to adapt and validate the need satisfaction and frustration scale (NSFS) for the Brazilian gig work context and investigate the distinctiveness of the constructs of basic needs satisfaction and frustration among Brazilian gig workers.

Design/methodology/approach

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted on a sample of 351 Brazilian gig workers.

Findings

Results from EFA supported a three-factor structure, while results from CFA psychometrically supported a six-factor correlated model. The items that constitute the NSFS presented good discriminant validity (heterotrait-monotrait ratio) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients). Results regarding criterion validity partially support previous empirical evidence that considers needs satisfaction and frustration independent in relation to well-being and ill-being while reinforcing the need for further investigations. The Brazilian version of the NSFS is shown to be an instrument with robust psychometric qualities to assess workers’ perception of basic needs satisfaction and frustration in Brazilian gig work context.

Originality/value

This study broadens the scope of research on basic psychological needs by introducing a valid and reliable instrument to assess workers’ perceptions of needs satisfaction and frustration in the Brazilian gig work context, a population that has been neglected in self-determination theory research.

Do Men Have No Need for “Feminist” Artificial Intelligence? Agentic and Gendered Voice Assistants in the Light of Basic Psychological Needs

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is supposed to perform tasks autonomously, make competent decisions, and interact socially with people. From a psychological perspective, AI can thus be expected to impact users’ three Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs), namely (i) autonomy, (ii) competence, and (iii) relatedness to others. While research highlights the fulfillment of these needs as central to human motivation and well-being, their role in the acceptance of AI applications has hitherto received little consideration. Addressing this research gap, our study examined the influence of BPN Satisfaction on Intention to Use (ITU) an AI assistant for personal banking. In a 2×2 factorial online experiment, 282 participants (154 males, 126 females, two non-binary participants) watched a video of an AI finance coach with a female or male synthetic voice that exhibited either high or low agency (i.e., capacity for self-control). In combination, these factors resulted either in AI assistants conforming to traditional gender stereotypes (e.g., low-agency female) or in non-conforming conditions (e.g., high-agency female). Although the experimental manipulations had no significant influence on participants’ relatedness and competence satisfaction, a strong effect on autonomy satisfaction was found. As further analyses revealed, this effect was attributable only to male participants, who felt their autonomy need significantly more satisfied by the low-agency female assistant, consistent with stereotypical images of women, than by the high-agency female assistant. A significant indirect effects model showed that the greater autonomy satisfaction that men, unlike women, experienced from the low-agency female assistant led to higher ITU. The findings are discussed in terms of their practical relevance and the risk of reproducing traditional gender stereotypes through technology design.

When Mindfulness Becomes a Mental Health Risk: The Relevance of Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Need Frustration

Although a great deal of research has shown the positive effects of mindfulness on mental health, some studies have provided evidence that mindfulness can have negative consequences. However, not much is known about the conditions that can account for such negative effects. We examined the moderating roles of difficulties in emotion regulation and basic psychological need frustration in the relationship between mindfulness and psychological ill-being. Longitudinal data were collected at three points in time during a 6-month period from two adult samples in Turkey and Germany. Self-report measures were used to measure ill-being, mindfulness, emotion regulation difficulties, and need frustration. In the German sample, difficulties in emotion regulation and need frustration were related to ill-being, but there were no significant interactions. In the Turkish sample, need frustration predicted ill-being, and the interaction between mindfulness and difficulties in emotion regulation also predicted ill-being. Mindfulness was a protective factor among people with no major difficulties in emotion regulation, whereas it was a risk factor among those with emotion regulation difficulties. The findings suggest that the relationship between mindfulness and ill-being may be more complex than previously thought.

Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of the State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA) and Validity Comparison With Measures of Negative Emotionality

This study explored the factor structure of the State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA) and measurement invariance between genders. We also measured concurrent and divergent validity of the STICSA as compared to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). A sample of 1064 (N Females = 855) participants completed questionnaires, including measures of anxiety, depression, stress, positive and negative affect. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original factor structure of the STICSA, which was invariant between genders. Overall, the STICSA had superior concurrent and divergent validity as compared to the STAI. The somatic subscales were also significantly less correlated with depression, and positive and negative affect. Further, the somatic, as compared to cognitive anxiety STICSA subscales were less correlated with depression. This suggests that the STICSA, especially the somatic anxiety subscales, might hold the key to distinguishing between different types of anxiety, as well as between anxiety and depression.

The Associations Between Happiness Motives and Well-Being in China: The Mediating Role of Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration

Happiness can be pursued based on hedonic motives (i.e., seeking pleasure and comfort) and/or eudaimonic motives (i.e., seeking to develop and make the best use of the self). Substantial studies have found that hedonic and eudaimonic motives relate to well-being outcomes in different ways. However, these findings were predominantly based on Western samples, while study about the relationship between happiness motives and well-being outcomes in Eastern cultures is scanty. Furthermore, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie these associations. To address these gaps, we conducted two studies based on Chinese college students. In study 1 (N = 301), structural equation modeling demonstrated that eudaimonic motives were positively associated with life satisfaction and meaning in life, but hedonic motives were not significantly associated with either indicator of well-being. In study 2 (N = 526), structural equation modeling showed that (1) hedonic motives had an indirect effect on life satisfaction through need frustration and (2) eudaimonic motives had indirect effects on life satisfaction and meaning in life through need satisfaction and need frustration. These findings highlight the important roles that the satisfaction and the frustration of basic psychological needs play in translating happiness motives into well-being outcomes.