The Mediating Role of Self-Acceptance and Goal Self-Concordance in the Relationship between Basic Psychological Needs and Psychological Well-Being

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Educational Psychology, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

2 M.A. in Educational Psychology, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

3 PhD in Educational Psychology, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

4 M.A in Personality Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

5 PhD in Educational Psychology, Allameh Tabataba'i University,, Tehran, Iran

10.48308/apsy.2024.236531.1692

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was to explain the psychological well-being model based on basic psychological needs with the mediation of self-acceptance and goal self-concordance among students of Tehran universities.
Methods: This study is practical in terms of purpose and the method of data collection was descriptive correlation. The statistical population of the present study included all male and female university students of Tehran in 2022. The research sample was 430 people who participated in this research through available sampling and online method. Data collection tools included in basic psychological needs questionnaires by Guardia et al. (2000), self-acceptance questionnaire (Chamberlain & Hague, 2001), goal self-concordance questionnaire of Elliott and Sheldon (1998) and Ryff psychological well-being questionnaire (2002).The research data were analyzed by structural equation method and through SPSS and LISREL software.
Results: The findings of this research showed that basic psychological needs have a direct and significant effect on psychological well-being, and the mediating variable of self-acceptance has a direct and indirect significant effect on psychological well-being. Also, the variable of goal self-concordance was directly effective on psychological well-being.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the current research, basic psychological needs have direct and indirect effects on the psychological well-being of students, and it is suggested that the effects of satisfying basic psychological needs on other variables of mental health should be investigated in the future researches over a longer period of time.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Arslan, G. (2023). Psychological well-being and mental health in youth: Technical adequacy of the Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving. Children, 10(7), 1269. [Link]
Bello, T. M. (2024). An Examination of the Mediating Role of Eudaimonic Well-Being in the Relationship between Psychological Flexibility and Subjective Well-Being (Master's thesis, Morehead State University). [Link]
Bingöl, T. Y., & Batik, M. V. (2019). Unconditional Self-Acceptance and Perfectionistic Cognitions as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 7(1), 67-75. [Link]
Cabrera, G., Daya, H., & Echague, N. (2020). Psychological well-being of college students: Validation of the personal-social responsibility and wellness module. Journal of Educational and Human Resource Development (JEHRD), 8, 59-70. [Link]
Chang, W. H., Chang, J. H., & Chen, L. H. (2018). Mindfulness enhances change in athletes’ well-being: the mediating role of basic psychological needs fulfillment. Mindfulness, 9(3), 815-823. [Link]
Chang, J. H., Huang, C. L., & Lin, Y. C. (2015). Mindfulness, basic psychological needs fulfillment, and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 16, 1149-1162. [Link]
Chamberlain, J. M., & Haaga, D. A. F. (2001). Unconditional self-acceptance and psychological health. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 19(3), 163-176. [Link]
Cordaro, D. T., Bai, Y., Bradley, C. M., Zhu, F., Han, R., Keltner, D., ... & Zhao, Y. (2024). Contentment and self-acceptance: wellbeing beyond happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies25(1), 15. [Link]
Danesh Payeh, M., Dortaj, F., Salehi, S. & Drikand, M. (2023). Explaining the model of teachers' psychological well-being based on wisdom mediated by humor styles. Journal of School Psychology and Institutions, 12 (3),48-61. [Link]
Ehrlich, C., Cripps, K., & Ehrlich, S. (2024). Self-concordance theory and the goal-striving reasons framework and their distinct relationships with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Psychological Reports, 00332941241268557. [Link]
Elliot, A. J., & Sheldon, K. M. (1998). Avoidance achievement motivation: A personal goals analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 171-185. [Link]
Emmerton, R. W., Camilleri, C., & Sammut, S. (2024). Continued deterioration in university student mental health: Inevitable decline or skirting around the deeper problems?. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 15, 100691. [Link]
Faustino, B., Vasco, A. B., Silva, A. N., & Marques, T. (2020). Relationships between emotional schemas, mindfulness, self-compassion and unconditional self-acceptance on the regulation of psychological needs. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome, 23(2), 145-156. [Link]
García, M. J., Del Valle, M. V., López Morales, H., & Urquijo, S. (2024). Psychometric properties of Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale in Argentina. Ciencias Psicológicas18(2), e-3739. [Link]
Ghorbani, N., & Waston, P.J (2006). Validity of experimentl and reflective self-knowledge scales: Relationships with basic need satisfaction among Iranian factory workers. Psychological Report, 98, 727-733. [Link]
Hajitabar Firouzjaee, M., Sheykholeslami, A., Talebi, M., & Barq, I. (2019). Impact of the meaning in life on students' school adjustment by mediating problem-focused coping and self-acceptance. Journal of Educational Psychology Studies, 16(34), 59-76. [Link]
Henry, A. (2022). Goal self-concordance and motivational sustainability. Researching Language Learning Motivation: A Concise Guide, 61. [Link]
Hernández-Torrano, D., Ibrayeva, L., Sparks, J., Lim, N., Clementi, A., Almukhambetova, A., ... & Muratkyzy, A. (2020). Mental health and well-being of university students: A bibliometric mapping of the literature. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 540000. [Link]
Holzer, J., Lüftenegger, M., Käser, U., Korlat, S., Pelikan, E., Schultze‐Krumbholz, A., ... & Schober, B. (2021). Students' basic needs and well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A two‐country study of basic psychological need satisfaction, intrinsic learning motivation, positive emotion and the moderating role of self‐regulated learning. International Journal of Psychology56(6), 843-852. [Link]
Huisamen, P. (2019). Concordance of goals and meaning in the intrapersonal life domain: Associations with demographic variables and well-being (Master thesis, North-West University (South-Africa). Potchefstroom Campus). [Link]
Huamán, D. R. T., & Berona, H. A. C. (2021, November). Psychological well-being, coping styles and academic performance in university students during virtual classes. In 2021 IEEE Sciences and Humanities International Research Conference (SHIRCON) (pp. 1-3). IEEE. [Link]
Ionescu, D. (2017). Psychological well-being state and satisfaction of basic psychological needs as indicators of goal achievement–frantic role of neuroticism. Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology, 7(2), 75-86. [Link]
Judge, T. A. (2009). Core self-evaluations and work success. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(1), 58-62. [Link]
Kalantari, F., Davoudi, I., Bassak nejad, S., Mehrabizadeh Honarmand, M., & Karandish, M. (2015). The effectiveness of Rational- Emotive Behavioral Therapy on body mass index, irrational food beliefs and self- acceptance among overweight teenage girls. Clinical Psychology Achievements, 1(3), 81-98. [Link]
Karbalaie, M., Yazdanbakhsh, K., & Karimi, P. (2021). Predicting psychological well-being based on emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility and mindfulness in cancer patients. Health Psychology, 10(37), 141-160. [Link]
Khanjani, M., Shahidi, S., Fathabadi, J., Mazaheri, M. A., & Shokri, O. (2014). Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Ryff’s scale of Psychological well-being, short form (18-item) among male and female students. Thoughts and Behavior in Clinical Psychology, 9(32), 27-36. [Link]
Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling (4th ed.). London: Guilford Press. [Link]
Kubzansky, L. D., Kim, E. S., Boehm, J. K., Davidson, R. J., Huffman, J. C., Loucks, E. B., ... & Moskowitz, J. T. (2023). Interventions to modify psychological well-being: Progress, promises, and an agenda for future research. Affective Science, 4(1), 174-184. [Link]
Li, S., Zhang, X., Luo, C., Chen, M., Xie, X., Gong, F., ... & Sun, Y. (2021). The mediating role of self-acceptance in the relationship between loneliness and subjective well-being among the elderly in nursing home: A cross-sectional study. Medicine, 100(40), e27364. [Link]
Li, T., & Feng, F. (2018). Goal content, well-being, and psychological needs satisfaction in Chinese adolescents. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 46(4), 541-550. [Link]
Liang, J.-l., Peng, L.-x., Zhao, S.-j., & Wu, H.-t. (2017). Relationship among workplace spirituality, meaning in life, and psychological well-being of teachers. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(6), 1008-1013. [Link]
Lin, L., & Chan, H. W. (2020). The associations between happiness motives and well-being in China: The mediating role of psychological need satisfaction and frustration. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 540346. [Link]
Lumontod III, R. Z. (2019). The role of goal concordance on happiness and college students’ academic performance. International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology , 8(1), 63-78. [Link]
Mahdavi, P., Valibeygi, A., Moradi, M., & Sadeghi, S. (2023). Relationship between achievement motivation, mental health and academic success in university students. Community Health Equity Research & Policy, 43(3), 311-317. [Link]
Martela, F., Lehmus-Sun, A., Parker, P. D., Pessi, A. B., & Ryan, R. M. (2023). Needs and well-being across Europe: Basic psychological needs are closely connected with well-being, meaning, and symptoms of depression in 27 European countries. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 14(5), 501-514. [Link]
Moblian, A., Dayarian, M., & yousefi, Z. (2021). Prediction of marital relationship quality based on personality factors, Glasser's basic needs and self- acceptance. Applied Psychology, 15(4), 232-207. [Link]
Masoumparast, S., Bahramabadi, M. Z., Khoeini, F., & Moradi, H. (2021). Designing a model of psychological well-being according to psychological capital. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Sciences, 3(3), 59–67. [Link]
Mustafa, M. B., Rani, N. H. M., Bistaman, M. N., Salim, S. S. S., Ahmad, A., Zakaria, N. H., & Safian, N. A. A. (2020). The relationship between psychological well-being and university students academic achievement. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(7), 518-525. [Link]
Namani, E., Fatehi Moghaddam, A., & Mohammadi Hoseini, A. (2024). The effect of basic psychological needs on life satisfaction according to the mediating role of emotional empathy and resilience in elderly women. Journal of Gerontology, 9(1), 61-75. [Link]
Neufeld, A., & Malin, G. (2019). Exploring the relationship between medical student basic psychological need satisfaction, resilience, and well-being: a quantitative study. BMC medical education, 19, 1-8. [Link]
Pramanik, S., & Khuntia, R. (2023). Decoding unconditional self-acceptance: A qualitative report. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 41(4), 932-949. [Link]
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory. Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publication. [Link]
Šakan, D., Žuljević, D., & Rokvić, N. (2020). The role of basic psychological needs in well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: A self-determination theory perspective. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 583181. [Link]
Shafiabadi, A., & Niknam, M. (2015). The relationship between perfectionism and job burnout in nurses: The mediating role of unconditional self acceptance. Journal of Psychological Studies, 11(1), 115-140. [Link]
Sharifi Fard, S. A., Griffiths, M. D., Mohseni, F., Nabi Zadeh, S., & Ali Babaei, G. (2024). Basic psychological needs and psychological well-being: The mediating role of Instagram addiction. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 9(2), 171-179. [Link]
Sheldon, K., Gordeeva, T., Sychev, O., Osin, E., & Titova, L. (2022). Self-concordant goals breed goal-optimism and thus well-being. Current Psychology, 41(9), 6549-6557. [Link]
Shir, N., Nikolaev, B. N., Wincent, J. (2019). Entrepreneurship and well-being: The role of psychological autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Journal of Business Venturing, 34(5), 1-17. [Link]
Shojaee, D. & nemattavousi, M. (2019). The mediating role of goal self - concordance and cognitive emotion regulation in relationship between core self-evaluation and life satisfaction. Journal of Psychological Science, 18(78), 675-682. [Link]
Smyth, A. P., Werner, K. M., Milyavskaya, M., Holding, A., & Koestner, R. (2020). Do mindful people set better goals? Investigating the relation between trait mindfulness, self-concordance, and goal progress. Journal of Research in Personality, 88, 104015. [Link]
Sosin, A., & Neubauer, A. B. (2024). Why we do what we do matters for how we feel: Links among autonomous goal regulation, need fulfillment, and well-being in daily life. Journal of personality and social psychology, Aug 8. [Link]
Su, H., Wang, L., Li, Y., Yu, H., & Zhang, J. (2019). The mediating and moderating roles of self-acceptance and self-reported health in the relationship between self-worth and subjective well-being among elderly Chinese rural empty-nester: An observational study. Medicine98(28), e16149. [Link]
Thibault Landry, A., Kindlein, J., Trépanier, S. G., Forest, J., Zigarmi, D., Houson, D., & Brodbeck, F. C. (2016). Why individuals want money is what matters: Using self-determination theory to explain the differential relationship between motives for making money and employee psychological health. Motivation and Emotion, 40, 226-242. [Link]
Tran, M. A. Q., Vo-Thanh, T., Soliman, M., Ha, A. T., & Van Pham, M. (2024). Could mindfulness diminish mental health disorders? The serial mediating role of self-compassion and psychological well-being. Current Psychology, 43(15), 13909-13922. [Link]
Vansteenkiste, M., & Ryan, R. M. (2013). On psychological growth and vulnerability: Basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration as a unifying principle. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 23, 263–280. [Link]
Zabiholahzadeh, F. (2023). The Mediating of Goal Self-Concordance and Self-regulation in the Relation between Core Self-Evaluation and Goal Attainment. 11th International Conference on Modern Research Achievements in Education Science, Psychology and Social Science, Tehran. [Link]
Zadeh Mohammadi, A., & Tahmasbi, M. (2023). Effectiveness of unity-oriented psychology approach on depression and suicidal tendencies in male students. Applied Psychology, 17(3), 29-50. [Link]
Zhang, N., Ye, X., & Xu, J. (2023). The mediating role of psychological well-being between social media use and academic performance among university students: What is the importance of student mental health?. American Journal of Health Behavior, 47(3), 605-617. [Link]
Zhang, X., Yue, H., Sun, J., Liu, M., Li, C., & Bao, H. (2022). Regulatory emotional self-efficacy and psychological distress among medical students: Multiple mediating roles of interpersonal adaptation and self-acceptance. BMC Medical Education, 22(1), 283. [Link]
Zhou, Y., & Xu, W. (2019). The mediator effect of meaning in life in the relationship between self-acceptance and psychological wellbeing among gastrointestinal cancer patients. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 24(6), 725-731. [Link]