Examining Predictive Role of Psychological Need Satisfaction on Happiness in terms of Self-Determination Theory

AbstractThis examination aimed to examine relationships between happiness and psychological need satisfaction and investigated whether psychological need satisfaction significantly predicts happiness. Participants were 192 Sakarya University students, between 17-45 age ranges (54.7% female, 44.3% male). Needs Satisfaction Scale and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire were used as measurement instruments. Multiple regression analysis indicated that happiness is significantly predicted by psychological need satisfaction among university students. Need for competence is the best predictor of happiness and need for autonomy and need for relatedness follow it, respectively. Findings show that predictor variables account for 54% of total variance of happiness. Happiness and psychological need satisfaction and its sub-dimensions. autonomy, competence and relatedness, are also significantly associated in a positive way (p<.01). Finally, psychological need satisfaction and happiness do not significantly differ in terms of gender. Consequently, these results suggest that increments of basic psychological need satisfactions for autonomy, competence and relatedness of university students contribute to happiness levels