The Impact Of Basic Psychological Needs, Positive Affect, And Happiness On Meaning In Life

According to the Self-Determination Theory,autonomy,competence,relatedness,and beneficence are universal basic psychological needs.The satisfaction of these basic psychological needs is essential for health and well-being.In addition,the satisfaction of these needs means a harmonious relationship between the individual and the environment.Previous studies have found that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs is conducive to the formation of meaning in life.In order to deepen and empirically expand this hypothesis,three studies and eight sub-studies were conducted.The study general objective was to explore the relationship between basic psychological needs(autonomy,competence,relatedness,and beneficence)and meaning in life,whether this relationship is mediated by positive affect and happiness,and whether there are differences at a cross-cultural level between China and Ghana undergraduate students.In this study meaning in life includes three dimensions: significance,purpose,and coherence.Meaning in life was measured using different paradigms,the general level(general meaning in life),the situational level(meaning in a specific situation),and the daily level(meaning in daily life).Moreover,based on the Self-Determination Theory four hypotheses were proposed:(1)there is a relationship between basic psychological needs and meaning in life levels and dimensions,(2)positive affect and happiness mediate the relationship between basic psychological needs and meaning in life,(3)the manipulation of basic psychological needs by priming will lead to a change in meaning in life,and(4)there are differences at the cross-cultural level between China and Ghana.Study 1 measured the correlational and cross-cultural relationship between basic psychological needs and meaning in life in Chinese and Ghanaian undergraduate students.Across three sub-studies the relationship between general,situational,and daily basic psychological needs and general,situational,and daily meaning in life was measured.Results showed that some basic psychological needs predicted meaning in life levels and dimensions in both Chinese and Ghanaian undergraduate students.However,there was no difference in general and daily meaning in life between Chinese and Ghanaian undergraduates,and Chinese undergraduates had higher levels of situational meaning in life.Study two measured the mediation role of positive affect and happiness in a sample of Chinese and Ghanaian undergraduate students.The results showed that positive affect and happiness partially mediated the interaction between basic psychological needs and meaning in life interaction in Chinese and Ghanaian undergraduate students.Moreover,Ghanaian undergraduates had higher levels of general meaning in life,purpose as a meaning dimension,and autonomy.On the other hand,Chinese undergraduates had higher levels of relatedness.In study three,the priming paradigm was used to induce the satisfaction of basic psychological needs.The effect of this priming on meaning in life was measured.Across four sub-studies the satisfaction of autonomy,competence,relatedness,and beneficence was manipulated using mental simulation.In each of the four sub-studies,undergraduate students were randomly divided into one of three conditions: future mental-simulation condition,past mental-simulation condition,or control condition with no mental simulation.Future mental simulation of basic psychological needs led to higher levels of basic psychological needs,past mental simulation led to lower levels of basic psychological needs,and control condition with no mental simulation of basic psychological needs.For Ghanaian undergraduates,low and high induction of the basic psychological needs led to significantly higher levels of general meaning in life and the three meaning in life dimensions(significance,purpose,and coherence).For Chinese undergraduates,the low and high induction of relatedness and autonomy led to significantly higher levels of general meaning in life and the three meaning in life dimensions.significance,purpose,and coherence.The low and high induction of competence and beneficence did not differ.The mental simulation of competence and beneficence among Chinese college students failed to increase the level of meaning of life.In addition,the study also found differences between Chinese and Ghanaian university students in meaning in life and basic psychological needs.In the four sub-studies of study three,Ghanaian undergraduates’ meaning of life and its three dimensions were significantly higher than those of Chinese undergraduates.In summary,these findings provide stronger evidence,using a variety of paradigms,that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs contributes to a heightened level meaning in life.These results have important theoretical and practical significance for understanding the promoting mechanism of meaning in life.