The Research On The Relationship Between Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction And Pathological Internet Use Of Undergraduates

How to motivate individual most effectively is the pursuing goal of psychologist for a long time. Under the perspective of self-determination theory, when individuals in the ideal state of which basic psychological needs--autonomy, competence and relatedness are satisfied, their motivation will be optimal and their potency will be promote. Therefore individual will be leaded to a healthy development in all aspects. When these basic psychological needs can’t be satisfied or balanced, there will be negative consequence which can affect individual’s development, even leading to maladaptive behaviors. Thereby, probing into the relationship between basic psychological needs and pathological internet use can explore the internet use of undergraduates from motivation aspect, which may guide their behaviors of internet use more rational, then facilitating the health development of undergraduate’s personality.Based on the reviews of previous researches and content analysis, we have translated the Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale. Measures were taken by 441 undergraduates as participants. Date were collected, then analyzed to help revise the scale. the scale is used to measure undergraduates’ basic psychological needs for learning their current status and the relationship with pathological internet use. The conclusions of this study are as follow:(1)The Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale for Undergraduates is translated and revised with sound reliability and validity which meet the standards of psychometrics. It can measure the basic psychological needs satisfaction of undergraduates as an effective research tool.(2)The general status of undergraduates’ basic psychological need satisfaction is above the median of scale. relatedness scores highest, then autonomy, competence the least.(3)The differences of gender, student source and duty on basic psychological need satisfaction of undergraduates are significant, while the ones of grade and family structure are not.(4)There are two pairs of canonical correlations between basic psychological needs satisfaction and pathological internet use: all dimensions of basic psychological needs satisfaction are negatively correlated with all dimensions of pathological internet use, competence is positively correlated with tolerance of internet use and time management issues, negatively correlated with social and health issues.(5)Competence can negatively predict all dimensions of pathological internet use. Autonomy can negatively predict compulsive internet use, withdraw reaction of internet use, tolerance of internet use and time management issues separately. Competence can negatively predict social and health issues.(6)Under the perspective of basic psychological needs satisfaction theory the present study suggested that encouraging and helping undergraduates to cultivate exploring capacity, to develop their own strength, to promote communication skills for dealing with pathological internet use.