Chen Lan, Xia Mengya
Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, The Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
J Adolesc. 2025 Jul;97(5):1272-1283. doi: 10.1002/jad.12495. Epub 2025 Mar 31.
Psychological need satisfaction and frustration are distinct processes that have unique effects on adolescents' psychological adaptation. Beyond their average levels, psychological satisfaction and frustration exhibit meaningful daily instability that is expected to have implications for adolescents' psychological adaptation. However, research directly examining both average levels and instability in psychological need satisfaction and frustration is rare.
A sample of 107 adolescents (ages 11-18; 38.3% female; 64.5% White/European American) across the United States was recruited via an online survey during 2020-2023. Using a 30-day diary and long-term design, this study aimed to capture both the level and instability of psychological need satisfaction and frustration, and their implications for adolescents' psychological adaptation (indicated by emotion regulation, resiliency, mental health, and self-esteem) 6 months later.
Psychological need satisfaction and frustration played distinct roles in adolescents' psychological adaptation: levels of autonomy and relatedness satisfaction, as well as levels of competence frustration, consistently predict overall adolescent psychological adaptation 6 months later. Beyond levels, instability in autonomy frustration predicted adolescents' emotion regulation, resiliency, and mental health; instability in relatedness frustration predicted adolescents' mental health.
Results emphasized the importance of simultaneously considering the differential roles of satisfaction and frustration in each psychological need. Also, findings highlighted the necessity of considering the dynamic nature of psychological needs.
心理需求的满足和受挫是不同的过程，对青少年的心理适应有着独特的影响。除了其平均水平外，心理满足感和受挫感还表现出有意义的日常波动，预计这会对青少年的心理适应产生影响。然而，直接考察心理需求满足和受挫的平均水平及波动情况的研究很少。
2020年至2023年期间，通过在线调查在美国招募了107名青少年（年龄在11至18岁之间；38.3%为女性；64.5%为白人/欧裔美国人）。本研究采用30天日记法和长期设计，旨在捕捉心理需求满足和受挫的水平及波动情况，以及它们在6个月后对青少年心理适应（以情绪调节、复原力、心理健康和自尊来衡量）的影响。
心理需求的满足和受挫在青少年的心理适应中发挥着不同的作用：自主性和关联性满足的水平，以及能力受挫的水平，始终能够预测6个月后青少年的整体心理适应情况。除了水平之外，自主性受挫的波动情况能够预测青少年的情绪调节、复原力和心理健康；关联性受挫的波动情况能够预测青少年的心理健康。
研究结果强调了同时考虑每种心理需求中满足和受挫的不同作用的重要性。此外，研究结果突出了考虑心理需求动态性的必要性。
