It's not just the amount that counts: Balanced need satisfaction also affects well-being.

Abstract

The basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness have been found to have unique additive effects on psychological well-being (see E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan, 2000). In the present study, the authors extended these findings by examining whether the balance in the satisfaction of these 3 needs is also important. The results of 4 studies showed that people who experienced balanced need satisfaction reported higher well-being than those with the same sum score who reported greater variability in need satisfaction. This finding emerged for multiple measures of needs and adjustment and was independent of neuroticism. Moreover, results were obtained consistently across concurrent, prospective, daily diary, and observer-report study designs. Discussion focuses on the psychological meaning and functional implications of balanced need satisfaction.

Adolescents’ autonomous functioning and implicit theories of ability as predictors of their school achievement and week-to-week study regulation and well-being

“…Most likely, this is because one of the core concepts of autonomous functioningawareness of self -has been related to higher inhibitory-control which is necessary for executive functioning in school-related tasks (Oberle, Schonert-Reichl, Lawlor, & Thomson, 2012). Furthermore, a few diary studies which have been conducted so far have shown that daily autonomous functioning, as reflected through autonomous motivation (Bartholomew, Ntoumanis, Ryan, Bosch, & Thogersen-Ntoumani, 2011;Gagné, Ryan, & Bargmann, 2003) or through daily need satisfaction (Bartholomew et al, 2011), relates positively to well-being in adolescents (Gagné et al, 2003) or young adults (Moller, Deci, & Elliot, 2010;Reis, Sheldon, Gable, Roscoe, & Ryan, 2000;Sheldon & Niemiec, 2006;Sheldon, Ryan, & Reis, 1996).…”

The balance of intrinsic need satisfaction across contexts as a predictor of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents

“…Thus, individuals reporting less variability (i.e., more balance) in the satisfaction of their needs across contexts should experience higher well being than individuals whose overall need fulfillment fluctuates across contexts. Sheldon and Niemiec (2006) were the first to compute a self-determination balance variable, hypothesizing that it is not only the amount of need satisfaction that affects well-being but that balance across individual needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness has an effect as well. Supporting this hypothesis, Sheldon and Niemiec (2006) found that college students who reported balance across intrinsic needs (e.g., on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), autonomy subscale mean = 4, competence subscale mean = 4, relatedness subscale mean = 4) report higher well-being than those with the same sum score who report greater variability across autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction (e.g., autonomy subscale mean = 1, competence subscale mean = 7, relatedness subscale mean = 4).…”

“…Following Sheldon and Niemiec (2006), Milyavskaya and colleagues (2009) argued that examining whether individuals' overall need satisfaction is consistent across contexts should add to the prediction of well-being variables. In support of this new balance construct, the authors cite the self-esteem and attachment literature which puts forth that over and above an individual's level of self-esteem or attachment security, the extent to which an individual shows consistency or balance across time and situations relates to well-being outcomes (Kernis, 2005;La Guardia et al, 2000).…”

“…As the basic needs are purported to be universal aspects of functioning, their existence is expected to be evident across cultures and throughout an individual's lifespan, although their relative salience and avenues for satisfaction may vary Ryan & Deci, 1985. While much research has been undertaken examining the benefits of need satisfaction in adult populations (Gunnell, Mack, Wilson, & Adachi, 2011;Hofer & Busch, 2011;Howell, Chenot, Hill, & Howell, 2011;Milyavskaya & Koestner, 2011;Sheldon & Niemiec, 2006;Wilson, Longley, Muon, Rodgers, & Murray, 2006) few studies have examined the usefulness of the basic needs in predicting depressive symptoms and well-being in child and adolescent populations. These child and adolescent studies have found support for the importance of some needs but not for others, suggesting that the benefits and consequences of amount of satisfaction of some needs may vary as a function of developmental period (Milyavskaya, et al, 2009;Veronneau et al, 2005).…”

Navigating personal and relational concerns: The quest for equilibrium.

“…Thus, life satisfaction and other forms of personal well-being should be enhanced when people sustain equilibrium not only over the course of a given day but also over more extended periods of time. Indeed, the extant literatures on work-versus-family conflicts and caregiving conflicts provide indirect support for this claim, demonstrating the short-and long-term benefits of balance (e.g., Adams, King, & King, 1996;Sheldon & Niemiec, 2006;Stephens & Franks, 1999).Does equilibrium also influence relational well-being? Whereas it seems clear that dedicating high effort to the personal domain at the expense of the relational domain is unlikely to promote relational well-being, it is less clear that dedicating high effort to the relational domain at the expense of the personal domain necessarily will harm relational well-being (i.e., why would ever-greater dedication to the relational domain harm relationships?).…”