Basic Psychological Needs

What is a basic psychological need?

A need is defined as “a condition of tension in an organism resulting from deprivation of something required for survival, wellbeing, or personal fulfillment (APA, n.d.-e).” Unlike other motivational concepts such as wants, preferences, and desires, which reflect an individual’s unique development and may emerge, change, or diminish over time, basic psychological needs are thought to be objective and universal. 

• Basic psychological needs are objective, rather than subjective, in that their satisfaction has observable consequences for performance and wellbeing, while their deprivation or frustration can lead to significant harm (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 82). Since needs are objective, or empirically measurable, we can predict motivational outcomes based on the extent to which one’s needs have been either satisfied or hindered, a process which is generally dependent on one’s social conditions (Ryan & Deci, 2018, pp. 89-90). 

• Basic psychological needs are inherent and universal in that they are shared by all humans regardless of one’s subjective goals or values, sociocultural context, or age (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 10).

For example, consider a wealthy art collector’s desire to purchase a hundredth painting for his art collection. This desire cannot be said to reflect the same essential nature as a homeless person’s need for shelter or a malnourished person’s need for food, even if the wealthy person’s desire is quite strong. While not obtaining a particular desired object may, indeed, be frustrating for an individual, the satisfaction or deprivation of a need—that is, something required for physical or psychological survival—will significantly impact one’s functioning, performance, and wellbeing. 

Further, if consistently satisfied, some desires or preferences, such as a desire to dominate others, may actually lead to harm, while satisfaction of basic psychological needs will always enhance one’s wellbeing. It is this objective, universal, and enduring nature that defines a basic psychological need.

The three needs

There is significant scientific evidence for the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and belonging (Ryan & Deci, 2018). Each of these needs is distinct from one another, but as the diagram above indicates, the needs are also interrelated. Each need facilitates the satisfaction of the others, under most conditions, and the satisfaction of all three needs is essential for individuals to be fully functional (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 248). This means, for instance, environments that are structured to support autonomy will also facilitate satisfaction of competence and relatedness, while controlling environments may hinder autonomy, as well as competence and belonging.

When considering how to implement these principles in schools, we may ask ourselves, “Does this activity, lesson, policy, or practice support or hinder satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs?”

Autonomy

Autonomy refers to regulation by one’s self rather than feeling controlled and pressured by either external or internal forces (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 53). Autonomy is the need of individuals to experience a sense of volition, willingness, self-endorsement, and ownership of their actions. Autonomous actions are congruent with one’s authentic interests and values (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 86). 

It’s important to note that autonomy is not the same as independence, which means not relying or depending on others for guidance or support (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 343). We all want to be able to make our own choices about how we spend our time and invest our effort, but we also often need advice, guidance, and mentorship. The manner in which a psychological need, such as autonomy, is expressed and satisfied may vary in different contexts, but the functionality and necessity of the need remains the same (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 88).

Although some cultures may be characterized as more individualistic or independent, while others are considered more collectivistic or group-oriented, it should be noted these are general constructs that can often obscure variations in cultures across different societies (Schwartz et al., 2010). Further, a collectivistic orientation does not imply that members of collectivistic cultures do not have a basic psychological need for autonomy. Again, autonomy refers to one’s willingness to act based on an acceptance of and identification with a particular interest or value. It is the process of need satisfaction that explains how different cultural values, including more collectivistic ones, become internalized by individuals. 

Indeed, although the picture is often quite complex (depending on the age, specific culture, and concrete behaviors in question), extensive cross-cultural research supports the robust relationship between autonomy satisfaction and a variety of positive outcomes, including greater motivation and subjective wellbeing and fewer symptoms of psychopathology (Bao & Lam 2008; D’ Ailly, 2003; Jang et al., 2009; Pan, Gauvain, & Schwartz, 2013; Rudy et al., 2007; Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 243, 308, 346; Soenens et al., 2012; Vansteenkiste et al., 2005; Wang et al., 2007; Zhou et al., 2009).

Competence

Competence is the need to feel effectance, or the natural tendency to put forth effort to influence one’s environment (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 95). Effectance is associated with the feeling of efficacy, which refers to the satisfaction that comes from producing desired effects through one’s own effort (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 44). So, competence refers to the need to feel effective and the satisfaction that comes from achievement. However, one does not necessarily need to perform a task perfectly the first time to believe one will likely achieve the desired outcome through sufficient effort.

A student’s sense of competence can be hindered in classroom settings when the difficulty level of the content or a task is not well-matched with the student’s current ability, or when negative feedback, person-focused criticism, or social comparisons are pervasive (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 11). 

Belonging

Belonging has two components. It involves feeling socially connected to others and feeling important to and cared for by others. So, the need for relatedness is satisfied when one feels they belong and when one feels they contribute to others in meaningful ways (Ryan & Deci, 2018, p. 11). 

In other words, it’s about both liking and being liked by others. It feels good to be around supportive family members and friends. It feels good to walk into a room and see your best friend there. And doesn’t it feel good to share something about yourself and know the other person is truly listening and “gets” you? 

Unlike independence and dependence, which are opposites, autonomy and belonging are complementary needs. We need to know we can be trusted to act on our own, but we also need to know we have the support of others who are important to us. Everyone needs a different balance of autonomy and belonging at different times, but we all need some degree of both at all times.